School Days of Our Lives
by pluhsauce
Summary: In the real world, Sakura Haruno isn't a battle-ready ninja; she is a strawberry blonde Honors student at Konoha Academy that just so happens to attract attention wherever she goes. The next four years are going to be one crazy ride. AU MultiSaku
1. The Dreaded First Day: Freshman

**So I've kept this little plotbunny under wraps for quite some time, and I'm finally getting the nerve to type it out. It's probably going to be reaaaally long, but hopefully I can get in a few chapters a month. Not all will be as long as this first chapter, but it will still be (my best) quality. (;**

**Enjoy (and review for any comments or suggestions)!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto franchise and stuff.**

* * *

Sakura Haruno. Student at Konoha Academy. Strawberry-blonde hair. Green eyes. Dancer. Intelligent. A smile that could melt hearts. And currently, nervous as fuck.

Standing in front of her mirror, she smoothed over her skirt again and buttoned her crisp white shirt slowly. She ran through her long hair, untangling the soft waves with her delicate fingers. Her mascara had already been applied, her hair washed, her deodorant on, but something just felt missing…she looked again only to –

"God, Sakura! Stop staring at yourself like that!" her (adoptive) mother scolded. "I get it, you're young, you're gorgeous. Boys will be tripping over each other to talk to you."

Sakura shot her a glare while sliding on her tan leather backpack.

"You _have_ to say that. You're my mom."

"Going from an all-girl middle school to a coed high school….my little baby's growing up," her mother lamented, hands clasped together dramatically. "Soon you'll be off to college, then getting married, then popping out babies—_in that order_."

"Ugh..," Sakura groaned. "you're acting like an empty-nester again, Shizune."

"I can't help it," her mother sighed dramatically, handing her money to buy lunch with. "I feel like I'm 45."

"—But you're 32."

The older woman grinned.

"You're so lucky to have a MILF as a mom."

"And with that," Sakura hurriedly started, all but sprinting to the door. "I'm going outside to wait for Hinata and her cousin."

"DON'T BREAK TOO MANY HEARTS!"

_door slam._

Sakura let out a nervous breath, checking her phone to see Hinata's **be here in a few minutes!** text. She leaned against her house while she waited, reflecting on the day ahead. Hinata, her second closest friend through middle school, was the sweetest, most introverted girl you could meet. She was a bit heavy, but still moved with the grace of a ballerina. Sakura had never met Hinata's cousin Neji (who was going to be driving them to and from school everyday, since Sakura lived on the way there), but the dark haired girl assured her that he was polite and well-put-together. _"You'll get along well, Sakura" she smiled with a light touch on the back. "He's just as school-crazy as you are."_

If Sakura didn't know Hinata as well, she could have sworn that she was playing matchmaker.

However, the magnitude of _today _brought her back to focus. Since she was an only child, she didn't have anyone to tell her what the first day of high school would be like. Her adoptive mother, Shizune, had grown up in Japan, so the only parenting she could do was buy the school supplies and provide the money for lunch. Sakura had never been one to have large circles of friends, so she didn't know any older kids (particularly boys) very well. All she had was two best friends, a backpack with her school supplies, $5 for lunch, and her class schedule.

This made her stomach churn apprehensively.

Luckily, the soft _swssh_ of a four-wheel drive snapped her out of her thoughts, the spotless white paint of a BMW pulling into her driveway. She squinted to see the faces in the front seats, but there was no need, seeing that the driver, (with ninja-like speed) had already parked and gotten out of the car to greet her.

The boy was tall and thin, with rich brown hair smoothed into a style not unlike most CEOs. (parted slightly to the side but still kinda up but still kinda confined) He walked to the back door of the car, pulling it open and gesturing for her to enter. Snapping out of her daze, Sakura fast-walked as gracefully as she could manage. When she reached him, he gently shook her hand with a warm smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sakura. I'm Hinata's cousin, Neji. She has told me much about you," he said politely, his tone smooth and professional. (_Is this what all high school boys are like? All the movies I've seen sure were wrong.._she thought confusedly) He radiated pure maturity, and you couldn't help but assume he was the type of student teachers dream of. All this made Sakura feel a bit uncomfortable. Not a lot, but…a little bit. She forced a smile and ignored her thoughts.

"Hopefully good things!" she laughed, wincing at her trite response. Oh well. At least she managed to say _something_.

"Just that you were an intelligent girl that is as beautiful as you are passionate," he smiled, leaving her alone to blush profusely as she got in, and he closed the door and sat in the front again. She glanced over to the passenger seat to her friend Hinata, who chose to remain blissfully silent, listening to the two. It was times like this that Sakura wished Hinata was more talkative. Sakura never could get the formal-smalltalk-thing right.

"T-thank you, but she was exaggerating quite a bit," she managed to stumble out as he backed out of the driveway and headed towards the school. (which was thankfully only 5 minutes away by car)

"Well, you certainly are attractive, and I guess I'll find out the rest as we get to know each other better."

_ohmygodohmygodI'mbeingflirtedwithwhatdoIdo._

Unbeknownst to Sakura, Hinata sat with a very uncharacteristic smirk on her pretty face..

"You actually might share some of those AP classes with Neji," Hinata added, back to her usual sweet expression. "He's a sophmore."

"Hmm..usually APs are left for upperclassmen. If I may ask, what are your classes, Sakura?" Neji asked gently. Sakura frantically pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from the outer pocket of her bag, smoothing it out on her knee.

"Accelerated French 1, AP Biology, 2D Art, AP Literature and Composition, Advanced Pre-Calculus, AP US History, and Gym."

"Math and English," he replied.

"What?"

"We have Math and English together."

"Looks like you will be spending a lot of time together," Hinata giggled.

"I'd be happy to tutor you when necessary," Neji smirked.

Oh no he didn't.

If there was one thing Sakura was sure of, it was her academic record.

She threw him an impish smile. "We'll see who tutors who," she challenged.

But it was at this moment that they arrived at the school, stealing Sakura's attention from the back of Neji's head to the giant grey brick building that she would spend the next four years in.

Somehow it looked even more intimidating in person than in the brochures.

They had got a pretty good parking spot, considering that they were only 10 minutes early. Sakura gulped apprehensively. Neji did the whole door-opening thing again, and after seeing her visibly nervous expression, rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.

"I'll show you to your first class," he offered. (but it was more of a command) Hinata quietly slipped away, leaving the two alone with a sly smile. (she didn't admit that she shared first period with Sakura, and thus would also benefit from going with Neji)

* * *

They talked comfortably, with Neji explaining all the nuances of the school, particularly the stuff the school _doesn't _put in a brochure. As he looked over her schedule (which she had hastily given to him once asked) he rattled off each teacher's description.

"Mr. Sarutobi's always stressed from his constantly-pregnant wife (I think they have close to 3 kids now), so he smokes about 2 packs a day and occasionally "spruces up" his coffee in the morning. All you have to do to make him like you is to give him as little trouble as possible. He isn't so fond of kids who ask a lot of questions. Mr. Uchiha is the uncle of 3 of the students here, and they're all stereotypical pretentious jocks, if that tells you anything about his opinion of kids. Just avoid any unnecessary contact or talking. Mrs. Sarutobi prefers to be called by her first name, Kurenai, and is Mr. Sarutobi's crazy wife. She likes her girl students, so you're fine. Mr. Hatake is always late and hates teacher's pets, and Ibiki used to work in a prison, so he's pretty tough. Orochimaru is rumored to be quite "fond" of his male students, and Mr. Gai is quite, um..eccentric."

"How do you know so much about the school?" Sakura wondered, staring at him in amazement.

"I'm the sophmore class president."

"What does that mean?" she teased. "You just get bragging rights?"

"Hmm…not quite," he smirked. "It means I always get my way."

_Was there a double meaning in there? _

"Is my classroom much farther?" Sakura asked carefully. "I don't want to make you late.."

"It's actually right there," he smiled, pointing to a door a few steps away. At this, they both stopped walking. "My class is only a few down from here."

Sakura fiddled with her uniform skirt.

"So…um..thanks for taking me here," she smiled cheerfully. "I probably would get lost if I tried it on my own."

At this, he chuckled lightly.

"You _do _know there's a map of the school on the back of your schedule, right?"

Sakura flushed in embarrassment as he handed her schedule back to her, flipping it over to see that, yes, in fact, there was a map clearly labeled on the back.

"The student council added that this year," he said amusedly. "For Freshmen who don't know what they're doing."

She huffed lightly at his last remark, before the bell (signaling the 5 minute passing period before the first class) rang. At that, she stomped over to the door behind her, not bothering to say goodbye after she had been made fun of.

However, her steps came to a halt when she heard Neji laugh.

"Wrong door. Yours is the one to the left of that."

She gave him a childish pout, only to watch him wave goodbye and exit to his class. Now alone, all she could do was face the inevitable: the dreaded first period.

It couldn't be _that_ bad, could it?

She opened the door slowly, before walking in with as much confidence as she could muster.

* * *

1st period was going really well, with both of Sakura's best friends in the same class: Hinata (of course) and Ino. There wasn't that many other kids, mostly because Spanish was the more popular foreign language. Mr. Sarutobi seemed quite thankful for the small class size, so after a brief introduction to the coursework syllabus, he let them talk amongst themselves.

Instantly, Ino shot over to where Hinata and Sakura were sitting (since they had been in alphabetical order. Hyuuga…Haruno..)

"Holy shit, have you _seen_ some of the guys in this school?" she practically drooled, hands clasped dramatically over her heart.

Ino Yamanaka had been the official best friend of Sakura Haruno since Kindergarden, when Ino started strangling a girl that was bullying Sakura. After that, they went right into friendship bracelets, sleepovers, and talking on the phone for hours. Where Hinata was soft and quiet, Ino was stick-thin and boisterous, with long bleach-blonde hair pulled into a tight ponytail. Sakura could bring up anything remotely related to fashion or attractive men and Ino could gleefully talk for hours, even though Sakura didn't have much to say on either topic. Even though they were very different, Sakura loved to hear Ino's energetic and emotional rants or dramas. As for Ino, she loved having a friend who loved her for her personality, not the designer clothes her parents bought.

"Not really," Sakura responded, rolling her eyes. "Though I'm sure you're already making a literal 'to-do' list."

Hinata giggled. "Sakura was too occupied with one boy to see any others."

Ino's law dropped.

"Sakura Haruno!" she gasped out, scandalized. "Why have I not heard of this!"

Sakura's cheeks quickly reddened, much to her chagrin.

"I-It's nothing. I just met Hinata's cousin Neji this morning, and he walked me to this class."

Ino and Hinata looked at her expectantly and leaned in a bit.

"..and we talked."

They leaned in more.

"But nothing else happened!" Sakura insisted. "And nothing will!"

"Oh come on, Sakura," Hinata smiled kindly. "You know that you will _eventually_ need to meet boys. Naruto doesn't count."

"Easy for you to say, Hinata," Sakura grumbled. "You and Naruto are pretty much married. You don't have to worry about this stuff."

"Neji's a good start. He seemed to like you," Hinata added, ignoring Sakura's comments.

"Okay, but does 'seeming to like you' mean he wants to get in Sakura's pants?" Ino hastily asked. "Because Sakura, honey…you will need to meet boys _that_ way too."

"Ino!" Hinata squeaked out. "I really don't want to hear about my cousin like this!"

"Just saying…." Ino huffed. "This little virgin mary over here needs to loosen up this year. If she dies alone, I put myself to blame."

"Ino…." Sakura hissed.

"I'm serious. You're already hot as fuck, it's a shame these uniforms don't show a little more boobage," she sighed remorsefully, staring down at her chest. "Then again, I'm built like you two."

"Stop where you are right now," Sakura warned, Hinata frantically nodding in agreement. "I don't want this to turn into that time you started crying in the middle of Victoria's Secret because I was two sizes bigger than you."

"Maybe it's all the cheerleading practice," Ino mused aloud. "Maybe I should switch to Poms to join you?"

"Now you just sound silly, Ino," Hinata smiled. "You and Sakura are both very athletic. I'm pretty sure cheerleading and dance are mostly the same thing anyways."

"Spoken like a true band nerd, _Hinata_," Sakura teased.

"Then again," Ino added. "All that fancy flute stuff you do must make your fingers very talented and ready to-"

Much to Hinata's embarrassed delight, the bell cut Ino off, leaving the three to pack up their things and head to their next classes. Sakura had AP Biology next, which she found on the map Neji had shown her easily. All she had to do was go down the stairs and she would be there.

As she walked through the hallway, she couldn't help but discreetly check out all of the students, seeing the kids she's be spending the year with. She vaguely wondered if they could somehow sense she was a Freshman. The uniforms made it harder to distinguish between the traditional stereotypes: jocks, sluts, punks, nerds, etc. But in fact, she rather liked it. The girls wore dark green skirts that reached above the knee, and the boys wore long pants of the same color. Both had white button-up shirts, which Sakura wore with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. The uniform was given a more official look with the matching green tie worn by all students with the "Konoha Acadamy" insignia embroidered on in silver thread. The only freedom was with shoe choice, which Sakura happily met with a pair of electric green ballet flats.

It wasn't long until she arrived to the Biology classroom, walking inside the already open door. She was one of the first few to get there, so she glanced around the room to look for any sort of seating chart.

"And you are..?" a velvety voice asked. She looked over to the speaker, only to see (presumably) her teacher at his desk.

She pretended not to notice that he was (definitely) young-looking for his age and (most definitely) very attractive. He was slightly pale and had a lean build, with a thick mane of black hair that looked like he had just run his hands through it. However, seeing his dark eyes twinkle with (delicious) amusement, she remembered Neji's warning: this man was probably a dick.

"Sakura Haruno," she replied quickly, unexpectedly receiving a small smile from the man.

"Don't look so scared," he chuckled, looking over a piece of paper in front of him. "You sit….let's see...ah! Front row, right in the middle."

At this point, all Sakura wanted to do was sit down in relax, but Mr. Uchiha didn't seem to pick up on that. Instead, he kept on talking.

"I have to admit, this is the first time I've had a freshman place into this class," he smiled, the happy expression looking out of place with his intimidating appearance. "Though now I can see you already look very mature for your age."

Sakura fought the urge to overanalyze that last part.

"If your past grades are any indications of your hard work, then we'll get along very well this year."

"Thank you, Mr. Uchiha," she mumbled politely, used to teachers fawning over her scores. He then left her alone, with the 2nd period bell ringing. During the course of their conversation, the rest of the class had slowly filled in, the seats on her sides taken. All attention was now on the teacher, who faced the class with an icy disposition that he had not shown earlier.

"I'm sure you have all picked up your textbooks over the summer, meaning you have at least _glanced_ through them," he started. "I will not quiz you today, but I am letting you know in advance that once a week, there will be a randomly-chosen day where you will take a 20 minute test on the reading. And those will be very, very specific. Every night, expect a workload of at least 30 minutes, and latework will not be accepted."

Light groans and sighs were heard throughout the room, but it only took one glare to silence them.

"But in order for me to be able to teach effectively, I need to know about you, particularly how you prefer to learn. Take out a sheet of paper, and on it, answer the questions I have written on the board."

He then sat back at his desk to start doing work on his laptop, leaving the class to look up at the whiteboard.

**Name/Age/Class**

**Extracurricular activities (including jobs)**

**3 words that describe you**

**Why you chose AP Biology**

**Study Habits**

Sakura bit the end of her pencil in concentration, staring at the blank piece of paper in front of her. There was 10 minutes left in the period, so she'd better hurry. She started writing furiously in order to finish:

- _Sakura Haruno, 14, Freshman_

_- Varsity Poms and Volunteer work at Konoha Hospital, but I expect to join more once the school year progresses_

_- Ambitious, Loyal, and Stubborn_

_- I aim to be surgeon when I am older, so I need to prepare myself with high-level classes, particularly those in science._

_- I like making notecards and little mnemonic devices to remember tough material_

She had barely written the last two words when the bell rang, dismissing them. Plopping down her paper on the pile in the front, she raced to her 4th period class, 2D Art, since it was on the other side of the school. (Yes, that's right. AP Bio was 2 periods every single day. Thankfully time flew by today.) She had to remember to thank Neji profusely for the whole map-thing. Without it, she'd be one of the few clueless freshmen wandering through the hallways.

It took a few minutes to reach the Art class, but there was thankfully still many seats open. She was about to slide into one near the door when a loud voice nearly gave her a heart attack.

"OH MY GOD, SAKURA! WE'RE IN THE SAME CLASS!"

She snapped her head around. There's only one person she knows with that volume and that was—

"—Naruto!" she frowned, looking to see if he had angered anyone with his outburst. "You need to be careful speaking so loud!"

He was sitting in the fourth row (the back, of course) and gesturing wildly towards the empty seat next to him. She sighed, sitting down and facing him. She still could barely believe this was Hinata's boyfriend, even though she was the one who had set them up initially. He was the quiet girl's perfect opposite: tan, blonde, charismatic, and talkative. This year, he was one of the few freshman to make it onto the varsity football team, making him already quite popular.

As soon as she sat, the teacher. Mrs. Sarutobi, gave them the long stereotypical speech about they were quickly becoming adults, and should take their studies seriously..blahblahblah. To be honest, Sakura zoned out after the first 5 minutes. After all, she only took this class because once semester of art was required to graduate. (a stupid rule, if you asked her)

Thankfully, Mrs. Sarutobi finished with a few minutes left in the period, so she could catch up with Naruto.

"Sakura, you'd never believe the things I am hearing in the hallway," he begun, looking at her intensely. Sakura looked at him quizzically. "All the boys can talk about is a red-ish blonde freshman with a rockin' body and green eyes."

She gaped at him.

"There's no way you mean—"

"Yes it's true! My own little Sakura has become an overnight sex symbol!" Naruto sighed dramatically. "Looks like you'll need me to protect you from all the evil upperclassmen's perverted advances!"

"Shut up, Naruto," she grumbled. "You're only trying to make me feel good. You probably heard ONE person say something like that."

He gave her a stern look.

"Sakura, I don't think you understand what guys talk about in their free time. You don't even want to _know_ the details some were going into-"

"Okay! I get the point!" Sakura grumbled. "It's just that I haven't even _met_ a new person yet, well, besides teachers and stuff. The only people our age I've talked to are Ino, Hinata, and Hinata's cousin."

"Neji?" He scrunched his nose. "He's an ass."

Sakura frowned. "He seemed nice…."

He ignored her, continuing on. "I'm gonna introduce you to someone during lunch. You have 6th hour, right?"

"Yeah.."

_Riiiiiiiiinggg!_

"Ah, well that's my cue to leave for English," Sakura smiled. "Have fun in your next class, Naruto."

"And don't make the teachers hate you already," she added quickly.

"Okay, meet you at the front of the lunch room!"

".. and don't break any hearts, Sakura!" he called out as he walked away, earning a few stares from passing students in the hallway.

"Now you sound like my mom…" she muttered sardonically, before starting to walk to her English class at the end of the hallway. But she snapped her head to the side when she felt a hand brush her shoulder.

She turned to face a boy who looked strangely familiar, with shaggy auburn hair and tired-looking eyes. He was only an inch or two taller than her, but that didn't really distract from the fact that he was prettydamnfinelooking. She shoved down a blush.

"Excuse me," he said in a smooth tone. "Are you perhaps going to English with Mr. Hatake?"

She gave him a suspicious look, but stopped walking and stepped to the side so they could talk a bit.

"Yeah..why?"

"You were just in my art class, and it looks like we have English together as well," he smiled. (_That's _why he kind of looked familiar) "I'm Sasori."

"Sakura..um..nice to meet you?," she replied softly, before turning away to walk like before, only to have him fall in step by her side.

"What year are you? I don't think I've seen you around," he asked.

"Freshman." (She always felt stupid admitting that she was so young)

He let out a low whistle.

"You've probably heard this a lot, but you definitely look older," he complimented (?). "I'm a junior. How are you in AP English?"

"I can be a nerd at times," she laughed. With his last comment, she had definitely softened up to him, so she felt a lot more comfortable. They talked until they reached the door, though it was more of Sasori giving her a detailed analysis on what to expect with Mr. Hatake. Once they came into the classroom, Sasori told her to sit next to him, in the middle of the third row since he was pretty much the only person she "knew" in the class.

However, once they sat down, someone else decided to occupy the empty seat to the right of Sakura, turning to face them. She didn't bother looking over until she saw the minute glare that crossed Sasori's face.

"Itachi," he grumbled in greeting.

Her mouth went dry. _This_ is what young girls picture when they dream of attractive upperclassmen. He was pretty pale (everyone here seemed to be), which was dramatically offset by midnight-black hair that reached halfway down his neck in disheveled layers, with eyes that were just as dark. He was fairly lean, giving him a fashion-model look. However, his toned forearms hinted at the delicious muscles that could be underneath his uniform.

It was a shame his face was nearly expressionless, with a very serious demeanor. Did that mean he was one of those pretentious guys Neji warned her about? Ah hell, she didn't need to like the man's personality to find him attractive.

"Sasori," he said slowly, his voice orgasmically pleasant. "Why don't you introduce me to your beautiful companion here?"

Before she could restrain herself, Sakura answered for him. "I'm perfectly capable of introducing myself, you know." The boy raised a delicate eyebrow.

"Her name is Sakura. She's a freshman," Sasori finished, his eyes cold.

After her little outburst, Sakura was getting some serious awkward-situation vibes, so she frantically tried to think of an escape. _Oh wait! I almost forgot! Neji has this class too!_ And right on cue, the brunette walked into the classroom, giving her a small wave. Without warning, Sakura shot out of her seat to sit next to him instead of Sasori and Itachi. (Much to their shock)

Neji gave her an amused look. "You seemed a little desperate to rid yourself of your other company," he teased, shooting a small frown to the two upperclassmen who were now staring at them. "Not good at making friends?"

"Heh," Sakura said sheepishly. "I think I'd prefer to sit with you from now on."

"So how's your first day been?"

"So far you've been 100% right about my teachers. You should sell your advice.."

"Whatever I can do to help," he smiled. "Did you meet anyone new yet?"

"Euh, just those two," she admitted, pointing back to the two boys who were currently arguing heatedly and glancing over every few seconds.

"Hmm," Neji frowned. "They're not the best of people. I'll introduce you to some others eventually."

_Riiiiiinnnnnngggggg (class beginning!)_

Sakura sat up straight in her desk, waiting for the teacher to come in.

And waited.

She glanced over to Neji, who was writing in his school planner.

And waited.

Itachi and Sasori were over there doing their other homework.

And waited.

And waited.

And…sank back down in frustration after 20 minutes. However, the door to the classroom viciously swung open a few minutes later, and in walked a 30-something man who was very tall and had grey hair. (_Poor guy.._she thought. _Must be bad genetics_.) As he walked in , she couldn't help but notice the obvious: he had a giant beard that legitimately obscured the entire lower half of his face from view. _Umm..what.._

He saw her staring at him and gave her a quick wink, which Sakura didn't know how to react to at all. So she blinked.

Now, at the front of the room, he cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"So…5th period, guys," he monotoned. "One hell of a party."

A few kids giggled because he "swore." He waited for them before starting back up.

"The name's Mr. Hatake, and I prefer to let _you _all talk," he said casually. "So student-led debates and discussions will be paramount this year."

A few groans were heard.

"Hopefully you've kept up with the assigned summer reading….because there will be a test on Sophocles' Oedipus trilogy tomorrow. And if you decide to take a sick day…well, you won't be able to make it up," he smiled, though it was pretty obscured behind his beard.

"Now, I want to go around and have everyone introduce themselves! Name, grade, hobbies, and what you want to do with your desolate lives!" he exclaimed with saccharine sweetness. "Starting with…Hyuuga over there!"

Neji looked up from his planner and frowned. Obviously this teacher was not exactly a student favorite.

"Neji; sophmore. I'm class president but I'm unsure of what I want to major in. However, I will most likely work in my family's business."

Mr. Hatake nodded to Sakura, who tried to swallow down her nerves. She felt all eyes turn to her. After all, she was the youngest kid here.

"Um..Sakura. I'm a freshman and on the varsity Poms team. Hopefully, I will be able to follow my dream of being a Surgeon when I am older," she said with faux-confidence. Thankfully, no one seemed to laugh or think she was weird, so she passed the social test.

She kind of zoned out during the next 7 kids' introductions, until it got to the two upperclassmen she had been speaking to earlier.

"Sasori. Junior. I've won many art competitions, (smirk) and I specialize in sculpture. I plan to major in art history and the eternal language of Latin."

"Itachi. I'm a senior this year, and I have played on the Varsity Basketball team all four years of high school. I wish to study law with a bachelors degree in Public Policy."

Damn it. Everyone seemed so much smarter in high school. And this probably wasn't even half her academic competition.

_Riinnnngg!_

Mr. Hatake cleared his throat.

"Alright class, remember the test! I expect only the best this year!"

Sakura rushed to pick up her bag and leave, since she needed to meet Naruto for lunch before she got swept up in the busy hallway traffic, but a tap on her shoulder stopped her. She turned around to see her teacher right behind her.

"Sakura," he smiled. "I find it very impressive how you are in so many upperclassmen courses at so young an age.."

"Thank you," Sakura said, softly returning a smile. She loved hearing praise of her academics. It was her guilty pleasure to be very proud.

"..But don't think for even a second that because of that I will go easy on you."

Her face paled.

"Um…thanks..I guess," she replied before all but running out of the classroom.

* * *

Sakura stood awkwardly at the entrance of the cafeteria, playing with the edge of her skirt (it was becoming a nervous habit). She wished she could take our her phone to entertain herself, but she definitely didn't want to risk a detention on the first day of school. Some people passing by slowed down to stare at her, so she felt a bit uncomfortable.

She thought back to what Naruto had said earlier.

**_"All the boys can talk about is a red-ish blonde freshman with a rockin' body and green eyes."_**

She sighed inwardly. _What does that even mean? _But before she could reflect any further, a familiar voice shocked her senses.

"SAKURA, THANKS FOR WAITING. WE GOT HELD UP IN OUR LAST CLASS!"

_We..?_

She looked up to see Naruto walking fast to her, waving his hands wildly. Passing students looked on in wonder and amusement, Sakura giggled a little. Naruto always had a tendency to attract attention: good or bad. Her focus was so set on her blonde friend that she failed to notice the more serious figure following behind him.

"Sakura," Naruto panted after running over. "I need to introduce you to someone! He's an ass, but it's okay since he's going to be my best friend and all this year."

Sakura gave him a wry look. "And where is this 'best friend' of yours?"

A boy stepped forward, his inky black eyes locking with her own.

"Sasuke," he grumbled softly. But Sakura barely had any time to register his annoyed tone because she was too busy having a heart attack. Her cheeks flushed, stomach light, and head swimming, she somehow managed to form a coherent sentence.

"I'm Sakura. Are you a freshman, too?"

She took a second to study his perfect appearance. He actually looked a lot like the Itachi in her previous class, except a warmer version. His hair was shorter and a little ruffled, like he just got caught in a (sexy) wind. She also couldn't ignore the muscular forearms and defined shoulders his figure boasted. Though his face maintained a steady look of disinterest, she could see the hint of amusement beneath.

"Yeah," he responded. _I had totally forgot I asked him a question. _"Haven't seen you around before."

"Sakura went to some all-girls school before this," Naruto complained. "She never had time to hang out because she was busy doing all her smart-person stuff."

"It's called a Hospital Internship," Sakura sighed. "Now, do you guys wanna find a table? We're already about 10 minutes into the period and no one's eaten anything."

Naruto's face lit up. "Thanks Sakura! I almost forgot, seeing that you and the douchebag's conversation was so _interesting_," he said with a very unmasculine giggle.

_The douchebag..?_

Sasuke shot the blonde an icy glare. "Don't call me that."

"Why? It fits."

"Because it just makes it more obvious how idiotic you are."

"Hey! We don't go there, Uchiha! Leave my grades out of this!"

"Naruto, the school year literally just started. Technically you have all A's," Sakura sighed. Naruto grinned, then offered her a high-five. (which she denied)

"Thanks for that, Sakura!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes (handsomely) and pointed to an empty table a few feet from them. "Let's go."

_Okay, Sakura. From here on out, you are under no circumstances going to act like a pathetic fangirl. Got it? Yes, he's beautiful. Yes, he's hot. But he's probably not single, and definitely not the type of personality to mesh well with your own._

_Sigh._

_Can't blame a girl for dreaming._

Once they all sat down, Sakura discreetly checked the time on her phone underneath the table.

"Ugh, We only have 20 minutes left," she groaned.

"What class do you have next?" Sasuke asked, surprising his two tablemates. He wasn't exactly the type of person to initiate conversation.

"Math," she said in a trying-not-to-be-too-desperate-but-being-mysterious-and-sexy way. "I need to go buy lunch, so I'll be back in a bit."

Sasuke and Naruto nodded, watching her walk away into the lunch line.

"She's hot, isn't she?" Naruto grinned knowingly.

"You have a girlfriend. Don't say things like that," Sasuke disapprovingly replied, though his eyes never did leave Sakura's lithe frame until she was completely out of sight.

"But you don't…"

"Naruto. I know where you're going with this, and you need to just-"

"—All I did was ask you a question," Naruto teased. "You filled in the rest."

Sasuke sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Okay, fine..Yes, she is physically attractive. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"She's in all those nerdy classes. Some of them more nerdy than yours," Naruto said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Come on, she's a girl," Sasuke said, rolling her eyes. "She can't be _that_ good."

"No, seriously. She's won awards for that shit. I swear, all she does is study for fun."

"Some people actually want to do well in their classes, Naruto."

"I also just happen to have her number on this piece of paper I have here, and if you are interested…"

"…"

"Take the damn piece of paper."

"…"

"GODDAMMIT YOU ARE GOING TO KEEP THIS AND TREASURE IT."

By the time Sakura came back to the table with an apple and a protein bar, she came upon Naruto and Sasuke about to strangle each other, with Naruto practically shoving a piece of paper down his poor friend's throat.

"Um, is something wrong?" she asked carefully. Both boys snapped into their normal seating positions, though Naruto had managed to shove the piece of paper in Sasuke's fist.

"What's that on the paper?"

"N-Nothing!" Naruto laughed, rubbing the back of his head. Shrugging, Sakura sat down across the table and quickly began to eat her food, watching the two do the same after pulling out their lunchbags with lightning speed.

"I have Math next, too," Sasuke started. _Oh my god he talked to me. _"What class exactly are you in?"

"Advanced Pre-Calc. The school wouldn't let me take AP Statistics until next year," she explained.

"Me too," Sasuke said slowly. "E-except the part about AP Statistics..I'm in your class, I guess."

Naruto's jaw could have dropped to the floor. _The great Sasuke Uchiha was __nervous__! _(Even though he knew that Sasuke would rather have died than admit it) He crunched on his dry ramen noodles (that he had packed that morning as he was running out the door).

"Well now I know two people in the class!" she smiled gratefully.

"Who else do you know?" Naruto asked, suspicious.

"Neji! You know, Hinata's cousin?"

Naruto's face turned grim.

"You mean…the guy who tries to sabotage every date Hinata and I go on?"

"Uhh..he's a nice guy…"

Now it was Sasuke's turn to glare. "He isn't."

"Do you know him, too?" Sakura asked.

"…"

"You don't, do you."

"I've heard enough about him.."

_rrrriiiiinnnnnnnnggg_

Naruto sighed dramatically. "Lunch is over..ugh"

"We better get going to Math class," said Sakura to Sasuke. "I heard that Mr. Morino is really intense."

_Meanwhile, in Sakura's dream world:_

"_Of course, Sakura," Sasuke smirked. "But you are forgetting something."_

"_What is it?" she gasped out, drowning in his intense eyes._

"_This."_

_He grabbed her tiny hand with his own large hand, and she marveled at how soft they were for a man. Not _too_ soft, just perfect._

_They walked slowly, Sasuke giving her hand the occasional squeeze and glancing over to her blushing cheeks. Soon, they stopped in front of a large door, and he pulled her close to his chest. *cue the stronger blush*_

"_Sakura," he said smoothly in a hypnotic tone. "I've been wanting to do this from the moment I saw you."_

_And before she could answer, his face neared her own, and she could smell a hint of cologne and she reached forward with her lips to meet his- _

"So are we going, or what?" Sasuke frowned, looking at Sakura's weird expression. Was she feeling sick?

"Oh. Oooh. Okay, Yeah. L-let's go," she stumbled out, mentally berating herself.

Then they walked together, (no hand holding) even though he seemed a little too far from her side than she would have liked. Oh well. It was a nice fantasy.

This time, when they reached the door, he held it open, letting her walk in front of him.

What a shame. She would've preferred a kiss.

But when she came in, she saw the pale blue eyes of her favorite sophomore, so she gave him a soft wave before going over.

"How are you, Neji? Haven't seen you in a while," she teased.

"Could be better," he frowned. "I don't get a lunch period this year, so I can't eat until after school."

"That's horrible!" Sakura sympathized, not noticing Sasuke behind her, not-so-subtly glaring at the brown haired boy. "You can't change it?"

"Well, I'd rather not switch out of Math and English," he explained. "I'm rather fond of the classmate I share them with."

"You're so nice to help me out," she grinned. "It'd hate being the lonely freshman."

"But you have me in _this_ class," Sasuke shot in. She had almost forgotten he was there!

"We can all sit together!" Sakura said happily. "Here, let's sit in the middle so that we can-"

"Fancy seeing you here, Sakura," another voice joined in. She turned to her right to see Sasori standing there, though not well-received by her other company.

"You shouldn't interrupt," Neji stated calmly. "It's very rude."

"Go sit by your own friends," Sasuke growled.

_Rinnnnng! _(But no one moved to their seats)

"I am planning to," Sasori said, pointing to Sakura. "And here she is."

Neji frowned distastefully. "How about you-"

"SIT ALL YOUR ASSES DOWN," an authoritative voice yelled. They four scrambled to find seats, and it ended up with Sasuke to Sakura's right, Neji to her left, and Sasori in the desk right behind her. A tall, tan man with scars running on the sides of his face glared across the room, arms crossed over his chest.

"As you might have heard, I don't take kindly to any bad behavior," he snarled. "My classroom; my rules. _Do you follow me?_"

The room full of students nodded frantically.

His eyes scanned over every single student, causing many hearts to start racing in fear. He stopped when he got to a head of strawberry-blonde. Sakura's face paled.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we have a treat this year!" he smirked. Sakura's whole body froze. _Please God, I don't want to die now. I haven't even been kissed yet…Well….actually just once with Ino, but that's cause she slipped and our mouths just hit really close and I don't think that counts but still I just really don't want to d—_

"We get to have the winner of the State Mathematics Testing Champion for the past years with us!" he exclaimed. Sakura sighed softly in relief, only to become really self-conscious with every person in the room staring her down.

He looked at her expectantly.

"Aah, yes. Um…that's me," Sakura said awkwardly.

"If you ever need any help, track down Miss Haruno here. I hate when you brats ask me stupid questions about our lessons."

And then he launched into an intensive lesson plan for the year, which she tried her best to pay attention to, ignoring the stares from the boys to her sides and the one behind.

She stayed silent when she felt Sasori's breath tickle the back of her neck.

She looked away when Sasuke tried to get her attention by throwing little pieces of paper at her foot.

At least Neji was able to…Oh wait. Now Neji was coughing really loudly to get her to look over.

She hatedwhen people treated her differently because of all the stupid academic awards she's won. Fuck this, she was bolting as soon as the bell came,

_Riiinn_(Sakura nearly broke into a run, shooting into the hallway)_nnngggg_

* * *

It took her a few minutes to find her AP US History classroom, since it was on the other side of the school. But she was thankful that she seemed to have lost Neji, Sasori, and Sasuke. Hopefully they wouldn't question her about it later, she just really didn't feel like having the "wow you're so smart I wouldn't have guessed" conversation.

She walked into the room, only to hear a low whistle. She thought nothing of it until she heard a voice accompanying it.

"Hey, babe." She looked up to see a boy with a vulgar look, with very pale hair and violet-blue eyes. He patted the chair next to him. (Apparently this classroom had tables and chairs instead of desks) She ignored him, choosing to head to a seat on the opposite side of the room, only to have him slide into the chair next to her.

"I'm Suigetsu," he grinned. "If I said you had a good body, would you hold it against me?"

She gaped, eyes wide.

Another boy shot over, this one ran with messy brown hair.

"Suigetsu! That's _my _favorite line, you little fucker!" he whined, pushing the pale-haired guy out of the way so he could face her. He cleared his throat dramatically.

"That shirt is very becoming on you (she smiled, thinking the line was over)..then again, if I were on you, I'd be coming too," he smirked. Her face scrunched into an annoyed frown.

"Is this some weird joke you do to everyone you meet?" she growled.

"Nah, only the cute ones," Suigetsu chimed in. "Though I can think of something else I can do~"

"I'm Kiba," the brown haired boy said quickly, scowling at his friend. "You a freshman, too?"

"Um..yeah?"

"Good!" he grinned. "Now if you want some more fresh man, I can give you my-"

She glared, shutting him up.

"If you want me to sit next to you, fine. Just stop with the stupid pick-up lines."

"I don't think they're _that_ stupid.." Suigetsu pouted.

"Fine," Kiba agreed, sitting to her right. He scooted the chair right up to Sakura's. "You got a name?"

"Sakura."

_Riinnnng! (class begins!)_

Her first day of this class, and she was already stuck between two perverts. Brilliant.

Her thoughts went back to Neji's warnings earlier this morning. _Wait, didn't he say that this teacher was a rumored pedophile?_

"Good morning, beautiful students," a voice called out, vaguely sounding like a snake's hiss. The man it belonged to had long black hair, which looked way too feminine for male teacher to have. He was extremely pale, so the white shirt he wore was nearly the same color as his skin. _Greeeeaaaat. _He turned his pale amber eyes to her, as if he could hear her thoughts. She fought to remain calm, though he had only glanced at her for a millisecond.

"I have had quite the hissstory teaching this class," he said, waiting for laughter that never came. "And I imagine we will all get to know each other _very_ well."

Okay, now she was just plain creeped out.

"So fill out the surveys placed on the tables, so I can learn more about you all. Afterwards, I'll be nice, just talk amongst yourselves."

Sakura reached for one of the sheets of paper and a pencil, nearly sweatdropping at the questions on there.

**What is your first impression of your classmates?**

**Anyone you feel an instant attraction to?**

**What is your first impression of me?**

**What is your favorite food?**

**How athletic are you?**

**Have any cute nicknames?**

She groaned, scribbling down some mildly ambiguous answers.

_I haven't really noticed many of the students. But there does not seem to be a lot._

_I do not really understand the question. They seem nice?_

_You seem very dedicated to your job._

_I like strawberries a lot._

_I'm on the varsity poms team, so I guess I'm pretty athletic. Does that pertain to the class?_

_My mom sometimes calls me saku-chan, because she was raised in Japan._

She hunched over her paper as she wrote, seeing that Kiba and Suigetsu were overtly trying to see what she put down. She nearly cried with happiness when the bell rang before anyone had started talking. Now she just had gym left, which didn't seem all too bad.

* * *

Holy Shit. She didn't know what she was talking about when she said it wouldn't be bad. The gym teacher was insane. First, he made them all step on a scale to be weighed, then took their heights, then asked them about their fucking _family history of medical issues._ Come on, really? To make matters worse, Mr. Maito (there was no way she was calling him Gai, like he had told everyone to) wore very small shorts, showcasing muscle-y legs that she definitely could have lived without seeing.

I mean, the guy was nice, but way too excited to be normal. Aren't gym teachers supposed to be bitter towards their jobs?

At least she had Ino right by her side, who had been grilling her for information on every person of the opposite sex she had even glanced at today. Right now, she was complaining about the gym uniform shirts. (we had to start dressing for gym tomorrow)

"The shorts are fine I guess, seeing that they're short, but I don't see why they have to be loose," she pouted.

"Ino, we can't wear booty shorts. You can't do anything athletic with your ass hanging out," Sakura reasoned.

"But we wear booty shorts for Poms and Cheer," Ino replied, knowing she was right. Sakura blinked.

"Uhh, well that's different, because…um…because-"

"Sakura! I didn't see you here!" cried Kiba, who had just ran over. Ino looked at Sakura with a oh-my-god-this-is-a-boy-who-knows-you-and-you-didn't-tell-me-about-him-you-fucking-bitch look. Seeing Ino next to Sakura, he looked them both up and down, much to their confusion.

"Is there something wrong?" Sakura asked.

"Damn, have you ever thought of you two making out? Cause I just did."

Sakura growled at him, but Ino just laughed.

"Lemme guess, none of those lines have ever worked before, right?" she said saucily. His shameful glance down answered her perfectly.

"I'm Ino, Sakura's best friend," she said before pulling him aside and whispering in his ear. "_How much would you pay for Sakura's number?"_

"_Depends. Can you help me with her?"_ he whispered back.

"_$20 and my advice is all yours"_

"_Deal"_

Sakura could only watch hopelessly as her friend assuredly was scheming something unpleasant. They were talking so intensely, they didn't even notice the bell ringing. She sighed, walking to the parking lot to meet the two Hyuugas so she could go home.

When she got there, Neji was looking around impatiently, looking strangely agitated. She didn't know him very well, but she could tell the emotion was relatively new to him.

"Something wrong?" she asked, before looking over at Hinata, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

"Oh thank god," he sighed in relief. "You were later than I thought you would be. I got worried."

She looked at him strangely. It had only taken her a few minutes to get her stuff and get here. But she didn't dwell on it longer, opening the door for herself before Neji tried to. Soon after, the car speedily left the parking lot. She was unaware than even though she had shown up, Neji was still quite upset, due to him overhearing many people's interest in Sakura through hallway gossip. However, Sakura didn't notice, since Hinata was too busy grilling her on Sasuke.

"Naruto told me that you and Sasuke it hit off really well," Hinata smiled. "He was worried you wouldn't like each other."

"Sasuke doesn't like anyone," Neji butted in. "He's an ass."

"_He said the same thing about you.."_ Sakura whispered to herself, before joining in with Hinata again. "He was very nice, actually. It's going to be great to have him and Naruto with me for lunch every day!"

"You guys can bond all you want~" Hinata giggled. "It's not often Sasuke meets a girl who doesn't attack him in a lustful frenzy."

Sakura frowned. She had expected that he was quite popular with girls, but she still didn't like to hear her theory confirmed.

"Do you know if he has a girlfr-"

"We're here," Neji intervened loudly. The opportunity to ask ruined, Sakura walked out with a smile and a wave, going into her house as the two cousins drove away. She was thankful that Shizune was going to work late tonight, because she really didn't feel like answering her endless questions about her day. She plopped down on her couch, turning on the tv so she had some background noise while she grabbed her phone to text Ino.

_**Sakura: You home yet?**_

She waited for a response. Did Ino have Cheer practice today? Shit, she probably did. Her need to gossip unsatisfied, she spent the next few hours showering, changing into her black silky pajama shirt and shorts, making dinner for Shizune for when she came home, and watching an episode of some weird reality television show. She was just starting another episode (who knew "Housewives of Garbage Men" could be so entertaining?) when her phone buzzed. She picked it up lightning-fast, only to frown lightly at the unknown number. She opened the text, wondering who it could be.

_**Unknown Number: Is this Sakura? Naruto gave me the number, so it might be wrong**_

_**Sakura: Yes, but who is?**_

_**Unknown Number: Sasuke. We met today.**_

Suddenly the song "You Belong With Me" popped into her head. Stupid Taylor Swift, raising her hopes for a cute little romance. She grinned like a drunk puppy as she saved the contact under "Sasuke 3".

Wait, fuck.

She changed it to "Sasuke" hastily.

_**Sakura: Yeah, I remember you.**_

"_Perfect,"_ she thought. _"I sound a little committed, not too desperate, but open to conversation. Perfect."_

_**Sasuke: We will have to pick Math partners tomorrow, and I wanted to ask you to be mine.**_

Her heart only registered the "I wanted to ask you to be mine" part.

_**Sakura: why?**_

_**Sasuke: Well, I didn't want to end up with someone I hated.**_

Her face fell. Well, at least he didn't hate her? That wasn't the romantic response she wanted.

_**Sakura: Well, once you put it that way…**_

_**Sasuke: So yes?**_

(Was he immune to sarcasm?)

_**Sakura: Sure. See you tomorrow.**_

_**Sasuke: Thanks. **_

She held her phone tightly to her chest, forgetting all about her plans to stay up late texting Ino. Right now, all she wanted to do was go to sleep and dream of little babies of pink hair and black eyes.

* * *

**OKAY. Now, some of the changes to appearance are pretty far from the manga/anime, but I needed to make it "realistic" as possible. So no super-long hair (irl, shoulder length hair is the maximum for guys), no killing of people (sorry Akatsuki), and no being immortal (sorry Hidan).**

**Also, for pairing's sake, Madara is only in his early 30s. But he **_**looks **_**young. Yeah.**

**The beard thing for Kakashi is a bit odd, but a little more realistic than a mask. Whatever. Just tryin' it out.**

**REVIEW TO TELL ME WHICH PARTS SUCKED (OR DIDN'T SUCK).**


	2. September: Freshman

**Hey guys! I'm got super excited with how much traffic I got on here right after this first chapter was posted! I mean...I would be a **_**little**_** more excited if more people actually reviewed, but I'm still pretty thrilled.**

**Benefits of reviewing:**

**- If you suggest a possible subplot/small event/or even big event, there is a 60% chance I will use it. Or maybe higher, cause I love people's suggestions**

**- I'll be more inspired to update faster**

**- You can push for more of a certain pairing (;**

**In the future, I'm hoping to publish a chapter at leeeast once a week, most likely on Saturdays. So I hope everyone is pleased!**

**And heads up: each chapter is a month of Sakura's life, with the exception some of some "specials" (for example: winter break)**

**AN: Gurl, I don't own any of this Naruto stuff. I don't even own my own laptop, come on now.**

* * *

_**Contacts: Douchebag McDouche**_

_**Options: Call / Text / Picture Message**_

_***Now calling Douchebag McDouche***_

"_Uh..Hello?"_

"_HEY SASUKE!"_

"_It's 4 in the morning on a Tuesday. What is so fucking important that you needed to wake me up?"_

"_You texted her, right?"_

"_Hn."_

"_What'd you say?"_

"_None of your business."_

"_If I'm going to be your personal matchmaker, I need to know what I'm working with."_

"_Just be more subtle. I don't a repeat of yesterday at lunch."_

"_But I __did__ give you her number..."_

"_-shoved it at me."_

"_-and you used it..."_

"_..."_

"_Do you think she's cute?"_

"_..."_

"_I think she is."_

"_..."_

"_Oh you totaaally do! Just admit it!"_

"_This conversation is over. I'm going back to sleep."_

"_Hey wait! I have something else!"_

"_What__?"_

"_How would you like a complete list of everything I know about her?"_

"_That's just creepy."_

"_I'm her best (only) guy friend!"_

"_You don't __have__ friends"_

"_Well, whatever. I'm going to Macebook message it to you."_

"_..."_

"_So how much money will you be giving me for this?"_

_-click-_

"_Hey."_

"_Hey!"_

"_...You douchebag."_

* * *

By the second week of school, Sakura felt like she had been there forever. She had mastered the art of tying the tie so it stayed in one place, somehow managed to balance two hours of homework a night and Poms after school three times a week, and had at least one acquaintance in most of her classes.

French: Ino and Hinata (excitement level: maximum)

Biology: Um..maybe the teacher? (excitement level: lonely)

2D Art: Naruto (excitement level: anything less than high and he would attack her)

AP Lit and Comp: Sasori, Itachi, and thankfully…Neji (excitement level: tolerant)

Lunch: Naruto and Sasuke (excitement level: ohmygodicanonlypraythathethi nksimcute)

Pre-Calculus: Sasori, Neji, and Sasuke (excitement level: mixed)

US History: Those perverts Kiba and Suigetsu (excitement level: sigh..)

Gym: Ino!...and Kiba again (excitement level: always maximum with Ino)

Right now, she sat in the school's auditorium between Sasuke and Naruto, trying not to blush at the fact that Sasuke was sitting so close to her. (She could practically kiss whoever designed the seats to be so close together.) The room was filled with every freshman in the school, so the noise of everyone talking was deafening. Unfortunately, Sasuke sat silently, and since Naruto was busy talking with Hinata on his other side, she had no choice to sit quietly as well.

The past few days, he had been surprisingly talkative, so she was confused now. Her eyes glanced over to the boy on Sasuke's other side, a crimson-haired boy with pale green eyes. Maybe it had something to do with him? Did they know each other?

A loud voice boomed over the chatter, startling everyone.

"SHUT UP!"

Their principle, a large-breasted blonde woman with a nasty temper, stood in the front of the stage with a large crowd of seniors behind her. All the freshman whispered to each other, voicing their confusion as to what was happening.

"You may not know this, being stupid little freshman, but every one of you will have a Senior Mentor. This is someone who you go to with questions and for support, but you don't have to be best friends or anything."

Excited, nervous expressions flittered across every Freshman's face. Sure, you get to meet an upperclassman, but there isn't a guarantee they wouldn't hate you, thus marring your social reputation.

This year's seniors weren't known to be the nicest people.

So now Ms. Tsunade was reading off all the partners (Sakura felt bad for her. Her voice would be exhausted after reading every pair's names) so that they knew who they had. Sakura zoned out for most of the names, letting her thoughts take over.

_How many seniors do I know? I think Sasori is a senior, but everyone else I know…ugh…it's not like people walk up to you saying "oh hey, I'm a senior, in case you didn't know!"_

_What if its one of those bitchy older girls I always hear about?_

_What if it's a guy who just wants to sleep with a freshman? Shit, I know a few of them have the whole "how many freshman can you convince to fuck you" game…_

"Sakura Haruno and Itachi Uchiha!"

Her head snapped up to the stage. She wished she could see his face, because she had no idea what he thought of her.. On the first day, he introduced himself, but Neji had made sure he stayed away all the other days. (Something about 'he would murder you when your back was turned')

She felt Sasuke staring at her.

"You ever meet my brother?"

Holy shit! It made sense now! Sasuke and Itachi were brothers! That explains why they look so damn similar and-

"Because he doesn't like annoying freshman."

Her heart sank.

"He's in my English class," she managed to say, ignoring the fact she was just called 'annoying' by the last person on earth she wanted to hear it from.

"Just be careful," he ended, eyes narrowing towards the stage.

He didn't even look at her for the rest of the assembly.

She went to her Biology class with watery eyes that she refused to acknowledge.

* * *

Now, she was sitting in her "lonely" class: AP Biology. Don't get her wrong, Mr. Uchiha went out of his way to be welcoming to her, but that didn't change the fact that everyone else was older and clearly had already established friendships. And today, she heard the dreaded words: "Okay class, today we are picking lab partners for the rest of the semester! Find someone you can deal with!"

Well, shit. This really wasn't her day.

She promised herself that today was the day she would go to DcMonald's after school and eat a giant cheeseburger to make her feel better.

But back in present, she looked around the room nervously at all the kids she had never seen before. _Oh god, please don't let be alone…_

"Hey you!"

Turning around, she saw a tough-looking blonde with low pigtails and fiery blue eyes.

"You can be partners with Gaara over here!" she grinned, slapping the back of a boy sitting quietly at his desk. "He needs one too!"

His pale eyes darted over to her, boring into her own until she felt sufficiently intimidated. She vaguely recognized him from the assembly, but she doubted that he had seen her there. Even if he did, that meant he overheard Sasuke's _pleasant_ words to her.

"Ah…if he doesn't want to…"

"He does," the girl assured. Sakura highly doubted that was the case. "My name's Temari! I'll go write your names on the roster."

The girl left with a wide smile.

"I'm sorry for my sister. She is determined to make friends for me," the boy said in a almost monotone voice. "Are you a freshman too?"

"Uh, Yeah!" she answered, feeling the teeniest bit more comfortable. "I'm Sakura Haruno."

"I've heard about you from somewhere..Do you know Naruto very well?"

"Well, yeah! I mean, one of my best friends is dating him, so I see him all the time and we're really close. He's really nice!"

"I would say annoying," he smirked.

"Now you sound like Sasuke…" she muttered quietly to herself, unaware he had understood her. She opened up her notebook to start making a list of the homework she had to do tonight to distract her from her thoughts. The rest of the period was quiet, with Gaara occasionally looking to her with sympathetic eyes.

* * *

The next day, Sasuke was talking to her as if nothing happened, which was definitely a mindfuck. (I mean, not like she cried for about an hour as soon as she got home..) What did he mean by annoying, then? Ugh, she wished she didn't overanalyze everything like a stereotypical girl.

So the day after, she had brought some cookies she made the night before (even though she ate half the dough) to bring to lunch. It may have not been covert, but she wanted Sasuke to stay nice with her.

Upon seeing the chocolate-chip goodness, Naruto gave a large squeal of happiness, though Sasuke only nodded in response.

"I made some last night and had extra, so I decided you two would appreciate them more," she smiled nervously. She commended herself on the background story. Now she didn't seem too desperate.

Naruto instantly grabbed three of the ten cookies, giving Sasuke (who had grabbed one and was looking at it funny) a sad frown. "It's too bad Sasuke doesn't like sweet things."

Sakura froze. _Shit. Fuck. Holy bitchtits. Her day was fucking ruined._

"Sasuke, um..it's okay if you don't eat any. I don't want to force you…"

Without saying anything, he slowly brought the cookie to his (sexy) lips and took a small (sexy) bite. Naruto gaped at him, crumbs falling out of his open mouth.

They both watched as Sasuke swallowed it without complaint, then looked up to Sakura's wide eyes.

"It's..well-made," he stated, giving the biggest smile she had ever seen him with. (In other words, barely any smile at all…but it still counted) She inwardly squealed.

He quickly ate the rest as Sakura took a couple herself (thank god she had Poms after school to burn off the calories).

Naruto had finished his share (seven) first, so he took this opportunity to talk.

"Hey, so since the weekend's coming up, you guys wanna go somewhere together?"

"Like where?" Sakura asked, mildly concerned over a place that Naruto would choose. He didn't have the best sense of normalcy.

"I was just thinking of that Mexican place in that little shopping area near us. You know, the one only like half a mile from the school?"

"Naruto..I don't think I'd be able to pronounce anything on the menu," Sakura admitted sheepishly. "I'm in French class, not Spanish."

"I'm in Spanish!"

"Spanish 1," Sasuke grumbled. "But I'm in Spanish 4, so I'd help."

Sakura smiled gratefully. She mentally went through every cute outfit she owned that she could wear to impress him. _I do have that one dark green dress that's pretty casual looking, and I could pair that a grey cardigan so that it isn't too dark…ooh! And I could put my hair up like that one hairstyle I re-pinned on my tinperest board..and—_

"So…Saturday afternoon? At like, 1pm?" Naruto suggested. Sasuke and Sakura quickly agreed, though Sakura seemed a little more enthusiastic. After all, last weekend she really didn't do anything, save for a sleepover with Hinata where they watched stupid romantic-comedies to make fun of them. (But she didn't think that counted as a social life)

Unfortunately, the bell rang, cutting off any conversation, and signaling the start of her and Sasuke's daily (short) walk to math. And even though there had been no partner activities yet, she relished in the fact that eventually they would be working one-on-one.

Her hand ached to be intertwined with his own.

* * *

Wednesday was definitely not her favorite day. She had stayed up all night doing a math problem set (2 hours) and writing a stupid paper for English (4 hours), while studying frantically for a test in Bio on the last lab they did in class. (Gaara was surprisingly good at Biology, so she didn't want to disappoint him with bad grades) Shizune always pressured her to be perfect in every way possible, so her sights where set on being Valedictorian.

Too bad that meant a life of hell for 4 years.

Walking into 2D Art, she was far from enthusiastic. Though she completed the Biology test well, she was still apprehensive. Mr. Uchiha had patted her shoulder comfortably on the way out, and she really hoped it wasn't out of pity. Did he think she would do badly?

To make matters worse, apparently Naruto was home sick today. That means she got to sit through class utterly alone. (As a teenager, this was her worst fear.)

But a hand on her lower back told her differently. She fought the instinct to shiver.

She was unsuccessful.

"Your loud blonde friend isn't here today?" Sasori asked, moving to her side.

"Yes..uh..well..yeah…why?" she stammered out. Damn him for being so cute looking. And he totally knew it, too.

"Well, I can't have you sitting alone!" he beamed. "You're sitting next to me today."

Wow, that wasn't even a question.

He led her over to the corner in the back, helping her set down her backpack and sliding out a chair for her to sit in.

"Don't worry," he said. "If you need any help, I would be more than happy to aid you. Art is my prowess."

Suddenly, the chair to Sakura's right was occupied, and a loud voice reminding her of Naruto brought her to attention.

"Hey, why are you sitting with us today, yeah?" a boy with long blonde hait frowned, looking her over with ice blue eyes. (For some reason, between his coloring and volume, she couldn't help being reminded of Ino.) _Shit_. Sakura thought. _I guess I really don't belong here._

"I mean, how am I supposed to compete with you, Sasori, if you aren't right next to me?"

"I could leave if you want me to.." Sakura whimpered out, completely drained of self-assurance. She hated being intimidated by upperclassmen, but it was an impossible instinct to ignore.

"Shut up, Deidara," Sasori scowled. "This is Sakura, and there's no way I'd choose your company over hers. She's staying."

She could have sworn she heard Deidara whisper something about "damn Sasori and his obsession with cute things, yeah"

For the rest of the period, she endured Deidara's moody silence while focusing on sketching the picture of a rose she was assigned to do, while sufficiently responding to Sasori's attempts of conversation. Every time she let loose a quiet giggle, she could feel Deidara's scowl directed at the side of her head.

This kind of ruined her mood for the majority of the day, with even Sasuke noticing when they sat at lunch together. Normally, she would peppy and chatty, but she sat quietly and used the excuse of having homework to do during lunch. He respected her wishes, and without her knowing, gave her an uncharacteristic worried look as she drowned herself in her French homework so she didn't have to do it that night. At least she saved a little time so she could focus more on Poms practice after school. It went until 6, and she wasn't exactly pleased about that. I mean, it was Varsity, so she expected it to be intense, but it wasn't a requirement of skill, more about time spent practicing routines over and over again.

The only highlight of the rest of the day was when Sasuke quietly asked if there was anything wrong, to which she mustered up a trite excuse of "stress from schoolwork." He seemed to accept it, but he suggested helping her with Math if she needed it.

Even a bad day couldn't dissipate the mental squeal that she had at that.

* * *

Sakura stood in the parking lot after Poms practice, waiting for Shizune to get off work so she could pick her up. Her house wasn't _that_ far away, but she sure as hell didn't want to walk the streets when it was pretty dark outside. She sat on a bench under one of the light posts the school had and absentmindedly scribbled down the biology essay she was writing about water potential. _I'm never going to use these_ _useless formulas in med school _she thought bitterly.

All of a sudden, she felt someone lean over her shoulder, looking at what she was working on. She let out a small terrified scream, which made the offender wince and pull back. She looked back, only to see the Deidara boy from Art class earlier.

Not exactly the person she wanted to see.

He rubbed his ear with a frown. "You didn't have to yell, yeah.." he muttered. _Wtf. Does he have some speech impediment with saying the word "yeah" after everything?_

"Well then, don't sneak up on me," she pouted. "So…why are you here so late after school?"

"Music project for choir," he grinned. "Sorry we got to such a rough start, yeah. I was having a bad day this morning because Sasori won an art project that I wanted to win."

"Yeah, He always likes to brag about his art," Sakura sympathized. "I'm sure he isn't good at everything, though."

Deidara's smile widened.

"How about in order to make up for my rudeness, I give you a ride home?"

She gave him an incredulous look.

"Uh, I'm not being creepy, yeah," he assured nervously. "You just look like you've been here for a while."

She thought it over for a second, before giving him a weak smile. "Actually, that'd be really nice. My mom wouldn't be here for another 30 minutes because of work."

"Follow me, then!" he replied excitedly, pointing at a silver car a few parked a few feet from them. She opened the passenger door and slid in, watching him start the car with ease.

"Hope you don't mind cheesy musical music," he grinned. (He tended to smile a lot) "I'm obsessed with Phantom of the Opera at the moment."

"Heh..I like it a lot, too," Sakura admitted. "In middle school, I was obsessed with the Phantom."

She gave him quick directions to her house, so he could drive without her interrupting. As the audio system booted up, the track was right at the duet of "All I Ask of You."

"Sing along, Sakura!" he urged playfully. "It's always so boring to sing the male part myself!"

She cleared her throat a little nervously, before starting to singing the soft soprano part. (she made sure she wasn't too loud, because she tried to make it seem really casual and effortless)

_Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime._

_Say the word and I will follow you.._

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Deidara with a drunken smile as he joined in for the part where Christine and sang together.

_Share each day with me, each night, each morning_

_Say you love me_

_(You know I do)_

_Love me, that's all I ask of you.._

During the short instrumental, Deidara nudged her as best he could while driving.

"Sing the high part with me, Sakura!" he practically squealed.

_Anywhere, you go let me go too!_

_Love me, that's all I ask of…you…_

He sat in silence so still, that if he wasn't still pressing the gas and steering, she would've thought he went into a coma.

"Sakura," he calmly said, slightly scaring her. He had pulled into her driveway now, but still needed to finish their conversation. "You are trying out for the musical with me this year."

"Um…what?"

"You were so fucking perfect! Holy shit!" he excitedly said, looking at her with fanboy-like eyes. _Was that a tear in his eye?_ "Seriously, none of the girls at our school can compare! Okay, so I will help you with your audition song and monologue, yeah, and make sure you practice your range every day up to like a high-high E…you know the one above the treble staff, yeah? And I'll definitely help you practice..do you take lessons? I can be your teacher and-"

"What musical is it?" Sakura interrupted. "I've never done anything remotely musical outside of singing along to touyube karaoke videos.."

"Music Man. And I have just found the perfect Marian."

"I don't know if I can act.." Sakura said self-consciously. "All I know how to do is sing (kinda) and dance."

"I'll teach you," he replied, dismissing her attitude with a shake of his hand. "Now you go into your house and look up the songs from the musical. I am not taking no for an answer."

"Um…thanks for the ride, I guess," Sakura stammered as she picked up her backpack and left the car, watching him drive away before going into her house. She sent her mom a text saying she got a ride home, and wondered what she should do with her homework all done.

Well, she could always do what Deidara said…

With an amused sigh, she opened up and started searching for "music man the musical."

* * *

The next day, Naruto was still gone, so she sat next to Sasori and Deidara again, with the blonde gushing about how "freaking talented my little Sakura is!" to everyone he could. Sasori was getting annoyed with him, so she assured him on the walk to English that Deidara would calm down eventually.

But as soon as the period started, Mr. Hatake looked at the class with a scary smile underneath his large beard.

"Today, class…you will be discussing the last chapter of Hamlet we just read," he practically sung. "You know, the one revealing how _raw and sexual_ Hamlet is to Ophelia. And I've already picked the partners! Try not to get too excited!"

Sakura and the ever-stoic Itachi were paired together, who gave her a small smile as she sat down next to him.

"Hello, Sakura. Happy to work with your senior mentor?" he asked softly. She rolled her eyes.

"I don't see why that whole system is necessary."

"Don't worry about it. We aren't required to meet until next month, anyways," he dismissed. "Now let's get to work on Hamlet and Ophelia's '_raw and sexual_' relationship."

Even though he was just quoting their teacher word-for-word, she still blushed.

Hey, a ridiculously attractive guy saying dirty things? What girl _wouldn't_ blush?

They opened their well-annotated books in unison, flipping to Act 1, scene 3.

"Okay, so since Laertes is basically Hamlet's best friend, I think that his opinion matters the most," Sakura started. "He tells his sister, Ophelia, that Hamlet basically only wants to sleep with her, and that he's using his high ranking to get what he wants, and her father later tells her the same thing."

"But I have to disagree," Itachi smirked. "Since in the first scene Hamlet was so distraught with his father's death and his mother's betrayal, Ophelia seems to be his solace in his mourning period. In my opinion, he started courting her for her looks, but eventually he was drawn in emotionally."

Sakura frowned. "But Ophelia's brother and dad know him best."

"Do they? Ophelia talks of all the lovely words and love Hamlet and her have shared."

"Which were just sweet talk."

Itachi's face turned a look she had never seen, one of a peaceful longing. It made her instantly pay attention.

"But love cannot be denied. You are tied to the person you love for the rest of your life, no matter the distance of time or location. They are the only thing that matters in life, the oxygen that keeps your heart beating and the reason you wake up every morning with a purpose of living. To Hamlet, Ophelia is the only person who treats him kindly, who treats him like the noble prince he is at heart. Their relationship cannot be ignored, and shouldn't be passed off as a mere subplot to the overarching story of revenge in the play. Shakespeare was no stranger to love; he held it as the most wonderful thing that could happen in life. Love is sacred, and cannot be snuffed out. It burns like a passionate flame in your soul for the rest of your life."

_Holy shit._ "W-wow, Itachi," Sakura stammered out, trying to hide the shock her face revealed. "I never would've thought you'd be a romantic at heart."

"There's a lot of things you wouldn't know about me," he smiled softly. "But I feel comfortable sharing my opinions with you.

Her cheeks flushed. She definitely saw him in a new light. (a change that she sure didn't regret) If only his brother was this romantic and caring…Suddenly, she found herself jealous of any girl that Itachi directed these feelings towards.

She wanted to ask him, but the question was caught in her throat.

"I enjoyed our discussion, Sakura. It's not often someone challenges my perspective." He said warmly.

Okay, this was it. She was going to ask him. She was going to-

_Riiinnnnngggg_

Dammit.

"We'll pick up on this tomorrow!" Mr. Hatake said as the students filed out

"Enjoy the rest of your day, Sakura," Itachi told her with a touch on her shoulder. She suddenly felt warm and tingly inside.

_Okay, stop it right now, Miss Haruno. You like Sasuke, remember? You're just excited because Itachi looks like Sasuke. Yeah. That's it._

Soon, Neji was offering to walk her to her next class, and she gratefully accepted as a way to distract her from her thoughts.

* * *

Sakura woke up Saturday morning with a wide grin on her face.

Today was her date with Sasuke.

Well….not date, um..since Naruto was there and all, and Sasuke had only agreed, he hadn't asked her personally…..

Whatever. Still kind of a date.

Since she slept really late on the weekends, she only had an hour to go before she started walking there (it was minutes away, and the weather was really nice).

She quickly dressed in the outfit she had planned earlier, and on a whim, decided to do the whole cat-eye liquid liner thing that she did when she wanted to looked extra nice. She then called down Shizune to braid her hair nicely (Sakura had never bothered to learn how when she had a sweet mother who would do it for her).

With an obnoxiously loving kiss on the cheek and a squishy hung, Shizune left her go, giving her twenty dollars, even though she probably wasn't going to spend more than seven of it.

The walk went nicely, the cool fall air lightly dusting across her cheeks. She loved fall almost as much as spring, because the weather was so calm. She was _not_ looking forward to the bitterly cold winters they always had…

She arrived at the restaurant at about 1:03, sitting across from Sasuke when she saw him sitting at a table alone.

"Where's Naruto?" she asked, blessing the blonde for giving her and Sasuke some alone time.

"Late I guess. He can be a real idiot," he grumbled.

"That's not very nice," she teased. "You guys are supposed to be best friends, remember?"

"Hn."

"Well, let's order drinks and if he doesn't show in 10 minutes, we'll get food without him."

The waiter came over quickly, a friendly older man that wrote down their drinks with a smile. He came back with Sakura's lemonade and Sasuke's water only minutes later.

"So…how's your classes so far?" Sakura started, hoping this time would be well spent on some "bonding time." (She realized long ago that Sasuke really doesn't do the whole "flirting thing.")

"Eh. Pretty easy. But the other kids in my classes can get pretty obnoxious."

"Not me, hopefully," she teased, secretly wanting him to give her a loving response and declare his feelings for her.

"_Of course not, Sakura! How could I ever hate you? You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, and I cannot live without you! Come, let us get married and have beautiful babies and live every day by each other's side!"_

"You're okay."

Eh, close enough.

"Oh, I forgot to say, Your brother is actually really good at English. He is that good at all his subjects?"

She noticed his eyes narrow a bit.

"He's not the best person," he said a little darkly. Why did everyone keep saying that? Itachi had always been very courteous. _And he didn't answer her question._

"I trust your opinion," Sakura smiled. _Hopefully that just won me some points._

"I'm pretty much always right."

Frown. "How subtle of you."

Fuck. Now she sounded bitchy. That is not what she meant. She glanced down to her phone, seeing that it was well past the time they said they'd wait for Naruto.

"Let's order food now," Sakura said. Sasuke agreed with a (sexy) nod of his (sexy) head.

As if knowing that he was summoned, the waiter came over, and then reappeared legitimately 5 minutes later with Sasuke's quesadilla and Sakura's burger.

He raised an eyebrow. "Was it your intention to order the most American food possible at a Mexican restaurant?"

"I never said I liked Mexican food," she smiled, eyeing her food and picking up her burger. "Take me to a French restaurant, and it's a different story."

"I'll remember that."

Cue Sakura almost choking on her food.

It seemed they always maintained a comfortable silence while eating, which was only broken up by the few snippets of conversation Sakura offered. She learned a few more things about him, like that he was on the basketball team and the football team (Poms cheered at Basketball games, but she kept this as a surprise for later), and hated most of the girls at the school (does that mean she was not included in that category? Score!). Once the time came to pay, Sakura had to make sure she wasn't daydreaming when he told her that he was paying.

_Oh my god. That totally makes it a date. I am soooo going to talk with this about Ino tonight._

He even walked her home.

He fucking walked her home.

She was practically flying with emotions as he left her with a wave at her doorstep, making Shizune think she was crazy when she walked inside and promptly collapsed on the couch clutching her heart and squealing like a preteen that just found out she won free backstage tickets to a Bustin Teiber concert.

Nothing was better than this moment. Nothing in her life had made her so happy.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if Naruto had left them alone on purpose.

She could practically kiss him in gratitude. (But not really. That'd be like kissing her brother, and Hinata would hate her forever)

* * *

Monday afternoon, Sakura was still on her Sasuke-high, making some people thinking she was mentally insane. Or just far too happy. She had a lot of boys joke that she was "lovesick" for them, and she had to slap Kiba for a rude comment about her looking like she "just got laid."

But now, she had Poms practice to work on, and she couldn't let her happy-happy-joy-joy thoughts distract her and get her yelled at for messing up the routine. After all, they were cheering for the first time at the Basketball game on Thursday night. She had to work hard to impress Sasuke. (and to steal glances at him all hot and sweaty. There was no doubt in her mind when she predicted that he would be a star player.) The team was actually sharing the gymnasium right now with the Poms, so now Sasuke knew of her place on the Varsity team. (damn, now her surprise was ruined)

But she quickly got her mind back on the routine, losing herself in the passion she always felt for dance. After all, she was the only Freshman on the Varsity team for a reason.

She was so focused, she didn't notice that the Basketball team was taking a water break, while staring at the Pommies intently. (Can't blame boys for looking at pretty girls)

In the bleachers, as the team took a water break, Sasuke couldn't help but look over to where the girls were still practicing. Did they ever take breaks? But he didn't complain, seeing that Sakura was in perfect view. He was still very confused about the new feelings he had before, since he had never experienced anything like it before. But now, he was entirely focused on her, since a while ago, she had shed the tank top she had been wearing over her red sports bra (as had most of the team, but they weren't the ones he cared about), putting her toned dancer's stomach on display. He suddenly felt his cheeks redden, thankfully hidden behind the sweat from playing.

"Itachi, it seems your heart of ice has finally melted," Sasuke overheard Shisui prod.

"Well, you certainly picked a good one. Everyone's been talking about her recently. But I've heard she's never dated _anyone_. You could be her first _everything_." He could practically see the wink that followed.

_I feel bad for the girl they're talking about. Though it's weird to hear, since I don't think I've ever heard of Itachi liking anyone. I thought he loved those damn textbooks he's so obsessed with…._Sasuke thought to himself. He usually didn't like sitting next to his brother and cousin during practice, since he was kind of bitter that Itachi was unfortunately much better than him. Whatever.

"I can't say I haven't taken an interest in her, though I can assure you it's not just a sexual obsession. I don't partake in that stupid game you and some of our peers do," Itachi muttered.

"What, sleeping with Freshman? But it's so eeeeeaaasy," Shisui whined. "You should try it!"

"No thank you, I'm rather content with pursuing Sakura for romantic reasons."

At that very same moment, Sakura glanced over to Sasuke, giving an eager smile. It's a shame he could only scowl in return.

* * *

**Holy shit! I did not expect to write that much! Writing is pretty therapeutic recently, since I'm really focused on getting the lead in my school's musical, Legally Blonde. (Don't kill me for putting Sakura in musical-shit, too…..I promise it will make sense later. I seriously promise)**

**And sorry if the story seems a little segmented and broken-up. I like writing things in short moments, not long stretches of time. As I said earlier, each chapter is a month of Sakura's high school life, and if I wrote an entire day at a time, there'd be 1,461 chapters.**

**Not like I just calculated that.**

**So hit me with some reviews! I kept my personal promise and updated within a week! And this is crazy! (so review me maybe)**

**Sorry, bad joke. Enjoy your day, I guess.**


	3. October: Freshman

**Hey guys! Here I am again, keeping my promises of updating! But I think this one's going to be a wee bit short…however…the drama starts! Sorry if it's overwhelmingly SasuSaku so far; I can promise it won't stay that way. ;) (After all this **_**is**_** a MultiSaku!)**

**I am totally procrastinating college essays. 12 colleges, and like 20 supplemental essays. Hot damn.**

**As usually, review if you want more of a pairing, have any suggestions, want to boost my confidence, or inspire me to update faster.**

**Disclaimer: don't own this, yeah.**

* * *

_**Contact: Neji**_

_**Option: send message**_

_Do you have Sakura's number yet?_

_No. I haven't asked._

_You should. You like her, right?_

_I know what you're doing._

_I don't want to be the only one in the family with a significant other. Father may approve more of me dating Naruto if you have a girlfriend._

_But Naruto is loud and obnoxious. Sakura isn't._

_She's pretty, too._

_You're not being very subtle._

_I'm sending you her number. Think of a good excuse to text her soon._

_Fine._

* * *

It wasn't often that an announcement came over the school intercom during the day. Maybe 1st or last hour, but never 6th hour. But here they were, listening to the booming voice of Miss Tsunade crackle over the loudspeakers.

_Attention students! We have come across a very special time of year…THE HOMECOMING DANCE! And this year, it falls upon the Saturday before Halloween, though if you come in a stupid costume, I will personally kick you out, you brats._

Shuffling was heard, as well as a faint "Act professional, miss!"

_-ahem- _

_Tickets will be on sale at the front office for $5 each, and it is highly recommended you go with a date. This year's theme is "Under the Paris Stars." That is all. Good day! Get good grades and stay out of trouble!_

Sakura hid a drunken grin as the message cut off. Her eyes flickered over to Sasuke and Naruto, but directed more towards silent dark-haired boy drinking his V8 with a frown.

"You guys going?" she slyly asked. (PleasedeargodmakeSasukeaskme prettyplease)

"Of course! I'll bring Hinata! I love seeing her in pretty dresses," Naruto sighed happily. "And I'll ask my dad if we can all hang out at my place after."

Sasuke rose an eyebrow.

"God, I know what you're thinking, douchebag. I'm not talking about a drinking party."

Sakura smiled and nodded her her in faux-understanding. She didn't know about the boys, but the only alcohol that had ever crossed her lips was the one time she accidently swallowed her mouthwash. Now she was curious to know! Too bad there was no way to ask without looking stupid. Dammit.

But now she had more important things to ask, such as finding if a certain boy was going. She looked at him expectantly, not wanting to verbalize the question and look overeager.

"School dances are annoying. I'd rather stay at home and do something productive."

Her face fell a bit, and she couldn't do anything to hide it.

"Maybe you're right," she grumbled, not fooling herself. Maybe it wasn't anything against her, but she still felt a little depressed.

It really sucks to get your hopes up.

The next day, she calmly sat in Art class, trying to draw something not related to her love life drama. Was she being too fangirl-ish? She knew Sasuke was very popular with the other girls of the school, so perhaps he had his eye on someone prettier.

This thought only depressed her more.

Suddenly, a voice to her left broke her out of her trance, and she looked down at the wilted rose she had been drawing. (So much for not letting Sasuke affect her)

She looked over to Deidara, who had a cute puppy-dog look to his eyes. Sasori was gone today, and Naruto was really focused on drawing a big steaming bowl of noodles to shoo Deidara away, so he had her full attention.

"My dear, sweet, beautiful Sakura," he cooed, rubbing her arm gently. Okay, something was up.

"Do you want something?" Sakura asked, skeptical. After all, he was always very sweet, but this kind of ridiculous.

Not that she didn't enjoy his touch.

"Do you like dancing?"

"That's kind of obvious."

"Do you like dressing up?"

"Well, yeah..I'm a girl."

"Do you like having a handsome man on your arm?"

"Okay, what exactly are you getting at?" Sakura asked, an eyebrow raised.

"I am formally requesting that you be my date for the homecoming dance," he grinned, grabbing her hand. With his other hand, he pulled out an elaborate-looking ticker with the words "_Konoha Academy Homecoming Dance" _embossed in silver. Her eyes widened.

"Woah..really?" Sakura asked, a light blush rising up. Holyshithebasicallyjustasked meout.

"Of course!"

"Are you sure?" she said cautiously. "We just met a few weeks ago, and even though we're really close already, I'm sure there are tons of pretty junior girls to ask."

"Oh, Sakura. Ever so humble. I'll make sure your first homecoming is everything you could hope for!"

"Well, um…" she started, taking in his cheerful expression. "Yeah! Sure!"

"Perfect!" he happily exclaimed, hugging her tightly and looking a child that had just been given a pony for Christmas. "Our bonding starts now. I can't wait until we star in the musical alongside each other!"

At this point in time, Naruto looked over, giving them a confused look. "What's happening?"

"Oh nothing," Deidara laughed, giving Sakura a wink. Oh my. What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

Sasuke and Neji had never been on good terms, but somehow they had ended up as Spanish partners, much to their chagrin. The teacher obviously had it out for them.

So instead of driving Sakura home (she had Poms after school), Neji was stuck with Sasuke, since they had to work on a project together at his house.

He was anything but pleased.

Sasuke sat in the back, a scowl on his face, and Hinata tried to lighten the atmosphere. Naruto had also tagged along, because he wanted to hang out with Hinata so she could help him an essay he had to write.

"I can't wait for homecoming," she said softly. "It's going to be fun to have people over at Naruto's after."

"Yeah! I'm excited!" Naruto added. "Minato's gonna buy us some pizza, and maybe we can watch some horror movies."

"Neji, are you going?" Hinata asked, avoiding Sasuke's steely glare.

"Probably not," he replied, eyes on the road. "I'm not familiar with most of your friends, anyways."

"You can see Sakura, though. You did say that you liked her-"

"What was that?" Sasuke growled, attention focused on the timid girl. Naruto, sitting beside him, looked at him warily.

A tense silence ensued, Hinata looking like she wanted to disappear.

"I…um….I m-mean…" (Looks like her stuttering problem decided to resurface)

The atmosphere in the car was likened to the air before a monstrous thunderstorm.

"No, Hinata. Please elaborate," Sasuke hissed. "You obviously have something to say."

"Well I..uh, it's just that whenever Neji's around Sakura, I can't help but notice-"

"-That's enough, Hinata," Neji interrupted.

"Isn't she going to homecoming with Deidara?" Naruto asked, oblivious to the high-strung emotions of those around him. "Apparently he asked her in Art class, but I wasn't paying attention. I heard it was really romantic and shit, but then again, Ino told me that, so I don't know for sure."

Neji faltered driving, braking way too fast at the stop sign they were at. His face was identical to Sasuke's.

"Are you sure?" he asked slowly.

"Yeah," Naruto replied. "Ask her for yourself if you want."

Scowl.

Frown.

"It's stupid to go with a Junior. People will get the wrong idea," Neji muttered.

"Agreed," Sasuke reluctantly said.

"Oh well," Naruto said. "I'm inviting him to my place, too. He seems like a cool guy, though a little feminine. I thought he was gay, but when I asked Sasori, he said he was in the 'surprisingly not gay' category."

"From what Sakura has said, he seems sweet," Hinata smiled.

Silence.

Sasuke and Neji's project time was most likely going to be very awkward.

* * *

It was Saturday morning, and Ino and Sakura sat in a cozy little corner in their local Btarsucks, holding steaming cups of coffee. Sakura's phone lay innocently on the table, vibrating every few minutes or so, which prompted her to respond immediately, regardless of Ino's conversation.

Needless to say, Ino was getting pissed.

"Who are you texting that's so important?" she passively-aggressively asked.

"Sasuke," she smiled. "He's back to his mildly sweet self again."

"Doesn't sound like what you've told me before about him."

"He's like a different person over the phone," Sakura sighed happily.

"Sounds like a player. Do all his lines sound practiced?" Ino frowned.

"Ino!" Sakura exclaimed, looking a little hurt. "I would _know_ if he was like that!"

"Sakura, 70% of the time, he makes you feel self-conscious and bad about yourself. Why the hell do you keep talking to him?"

"….." She took a sip of her coffee and looked down. The ground seemed really interesting all of a sudden.

"Is it because he's hot? Please tell me that's why."

"Well, that's what initially-"

"Godammit, Sakura! Focus on guys that deserve you! Not some asshole!" Ino said, raising her voice and making a few other patrons look over.

"If we started dating, _I'd_ be the lucky one," Sakura muttered.

"You're doing it again," Ino scowled. "From what you've told me, I think Deidara is better for you. He's never been rude, and he doesn't sit there silently in public. He cares about you."

"Ino, don't tell me what to do," Sakura whispered, her words stronger than her tone of voice.

"Fine, but I don't want to hear about anymore of the shit that douchebag gives you," Ino hissed, walking out of the store without her coffee. Sakura sat there quietly, eyes wide. She and Ino had never had a real fight before, and it really scared her. She really didn't have that many friends, and Ino was the best one she'd ever had.

Shit.

Fuck.

She really hoped she could fix this.

* * *

Gym on Monday was particularly hard, but Sakura found that running the track furiously really helped her take out some stress and frustration. Ino had been ignoring her all day, and she had never felt so alone. It was tolerable in French class because she had Hinata, but now, there was only Kiba to talk to, and she can only hear so many comments about her ass.

A girl pulled up beside her, matching her pace, but she really didn't pay attention until she spoke up.

"It's nice to have another girl who can run so fast!" the girl complimented. When Sakura looked over, she locked eyes with a brown-eyed girl with her light brown hair in a bun high on her head. She was slightly tan, and obviously in really good shape. A warm smile graced her lips, even though they were running pretty quickly.

"I'm TenTen. Are you a freshman?" They slowed a bit to talk more easily.

"Yeah. You?"

"Sophomore. I've seen you around, and you look a little lonely," TenTen said sweetly, giving her a sympathetic look. After all, no teenager wants to be alone in a class.

"Thanks," Sakura smiled, mood brightened.

"Aren't you the girl going to homecoming with Deidara?"

"Well, yeah, how-"

"We're in choir together. He talks about you a lot."

Is that a good thing?"

"Have you picked out a dress yet? You only have 2 weeks."

"But that's a lot.."

"Most girls bought theirs in September."

"Oh…uh…"

"I'll take you!" she announced, leaving Sakura confused.

"But we just met..?"

"I like you already," TenTen explained. "I work at the mall, so I pretty much know what's in the dress shops there. I need to make sure you look good for Dei-Dei," she giggled. "It's so adorable to hear him gush about a girl for once."

Sakura smiled.

"I guess that'd be okay. Is Saturday good?"

The teacher was calling them in to get dressed, so they stopped running and walked back in.

"Once we get in our normal clothes, I'll write down my number," TenTen smiled.

"Okay! Yeah! I can't wait!" Sakura said happily.

As she walked into the locker room, only one thing crossed her mind.

_Take that, Ino. I can make new friends, too._

* * *

It was one of the first times they actually used partners in Math, but Sasuke did not look to happy about it. He seemed to be in an okay mood during lunch, but once they passed Kiba in the hall, (_"Hey Sakura! I'll see you at Naruto's tomorrow! I can't wait to see you in your dress!"_) his mood soured considerably.

They sat in desks facing each other, but his eyes were focused on his paper.

"Do yours and we'll compare after," he muttered.

"O-okay," Sakura nodded. It was a shame she finished 10 minutes before him, leaving her to sit there in silence and pretend she wasn't affected by him. Everything Ino said reverberated through her mind, and she found she could not ignore her comments.

"Are you done yet?" she asked carefully. Sasuke shot his head up, giving her an icy glare that she had never been on the receiving end of before. Her blood ran cold.

"Shut up. You're being more annoying than usual," he growled, before commencing his worksheet again.

Don't cry.

Don't cry.

Don't cry.

Later, she would have to congratulate herself for waiting to get home before she burst into tears.

"Give me yours," he said minutes later, brusquely looking over her sheet and correcting his on a few questions.

"I'm done," he said. "If you want to be useful, you can turn them in now."

If before had been bad, this was much worse. Somehow she doubted he would text her that night.

Fuck. Ino was right.

Tears prickled at her eyes, but she managed to push them down as she placed the papers in the turn-in bin. The bell rang as she went back to her seat, and she all but ran out, not bothering to say goodbye to Sasuke.

* * *

If she had to commend Deidara for just one thing, it would have to be his ability to lighten her mood. When he picked her up at her house to go to TenTen's picture-talking "party" before the dance, not only did he lay dozens of compliments on her appearance, but he made big show of elaborately introducing himself to a smiling Shizune.

He really had a way with parents, she supposed.

But she did feel gorgeous, thanks to TenTen's dress selection for her. Ino would have picked something more fashion-risky and revealing, but the brunette really had a feel for picking a dress that complimented her, not drowning her out.

The dress was pristine white, with the top clinging to her torso until it fanned out into a full skirt that reached her knees. It had a belt-like strap of black at the waist, and there was a large section on her left that was covered with flowery black lace that turned into a strap at the top over her shoulder. In contrast, she wore bright red high heels, borrowed from the clothes Shizune kept from when she was "young and wild." (Sakura didn't ask her to elaborate) She left her hair down, and put on a little more makeup than usual so that her eyes stuck out more.

Deidara looked really different without his school uniform, dressed in black dress pants and a light blue button-up shirt. Sakura couldn't help her blush, and she knew he saw it, because he gave her a sly smirk in return.

To be honest, homecoming wasn't the most exciting thing she had ever gone to, but it was a little exhilarating not knowing many people there. Most people took Tsunade's suggestion to heart, and only came if they hate a date. Deidara made sure she stayed by his side, giving the perverted boys that tried to talk to Sakura dirty looks, and instead of bumping and grinding like everyone else, they danced as silly as they could (The Macarena and the Salsa definitely made appearances) until she was nearly drunk on the amount of silly they had. They received a lot of curious looks, but eventually, many other people joined in, seeing that dirty dancing got a little boring after a while.

And now they were headed to Naruto's house, though she promised Deidara they'd only stay a little while, because he didn't know many of the people.

Two hours at most.

As they entered into the house, many people were already there, and she saw some familiar faces: Kiba, TenTen (who was holding hands with a boy in dark green pants and a light green shirt), Hinata, Gaara (surprisingly), and Naruto (of course).

The house was actually really big, considering Naruto was an only child, but she remembered Naruto saying something about his dad holding an important position in the government.

A voice boomed over the group of teens, and Sakura looked over to see a tan, blonde (attractive) man who looked like he was in his early 20's, but she assumed it was Naruto's dad, so he must have been at least 10 years older than that.

"Welcome, friends of Naruto!" he beamed, earning an exasperated sigh from Naruto and interested looks from the others. "Thank you for coming, and I hope to see you all again at Naruto's Halloween party!"

Naruto sighed. "Daaaaaaad! That was going to be a surprise! I was just about to tell them!"

"Oopsie," the man giggled, which was weird to hear a grown man say. "Anyway, pizza in the kitchen and enjoy yourselves!"

While, they meandered into the living room, Kiba pulled up to the side of Sakura not occupied by Deidara.

"Hey babe, you really look nice," he wolfishly smirked. "Not as much skin as I'd like, but still hot."

Deidara faced him with a frown.

"Don't talk to my date like that."

"D-date?" Kiba asked, Sakura nodded, giving him a slightly apologetic smile.

"I'm going to introduce him to everyone, just wait."

And she did exactly that, showing Deidara to the small crowd of people, and thankfully he was met with smiles all around.

"Everyone sit down in front of the TV!" Naruto hollered. "Tonight, we will be watching…._The Fourth Kind! Mwah ha ha!_"

"Naruto, Halloween's not for a few days," Sakura teased.

"Whatever," he dismissed. "Everyone take a seat on the couch or floor, this movie is actually pretty scary."

Sakura sat down on the far side of the soft leather couch, feeling Deidara slid next to her. She could feel the slight warm he gave off, and she tried not to pay attention to the fact that their sides were pressed closely together.

All through the movie, Sakura jumped and let out quiet yelps of fright (Naruto had turned off the lights to add to the scariness of it all) every so often, with Deidara giving her lower thigh squeezes of comfort in response.

And oh my,

It felt good.

As Deidara and Sakura left right after the movie, they were met with a large chorus of goodbyes, though everyone else was a little distracted by the next movie starting. Deidara held open the front door for her, and she waved Naruto's (hot) dad goodbye.

"Bye, Sakura!" he cooed.

He knew her name?

Oh, Naruto probably talked about her a lot.

When Deidara dropped her off at home, she expected an awkward do-we-kiss vibe, but thankfully, it was anything but that. He walked her to the door, and hugged her tightly, leaving her with a lingering kiss on her cheek.

As he waved goodbye, all she could think of was how nice he smelled and how soft his lips were.

Yeah, she pretty much forgot about Sasuke that night.

* * *

On Monday, her mood was significantly better. Even Itachi commented on it, as they sat down to discuss Hamlet in English class.

"You seem to be happy," he said, raising an eyebrow at her humming softly to herself. She had been focused on secretly doing some French homework during class, so she looked up, a little surprised.

"Huh?" she asked, then mentally slapping herself for sounding stupid.

"You seem happy," he repeated. "Have a good weekend?" "Mmmhmm," she smiled. "It kept my mind off of the stupid things going on in my life right now."

He looked a little curious at that, but he didn't pry. "So I guess we should be starting now?"

"Sure," she said, sliding her French homework underneath her spiral before Itachi brought her to stop.

"Are you in French?" he asked.

"Y-yeah. Why?"

"Let me see that."

She handed him the worksheet that was mostly done, and he looked it over with a critical eye. He scribbled down a few things and erased others before handing it back to her.

"I'm in AP French," he explained. "Are you in French 1? You are actually pretty advanced for that level."

She blushed at the compliment.

"Yeah, thanks. I really like that class so I study a lot to be ahead."

"That's very admirable."

Holy shit. Two compliments.

Their assignment on Hamlet was ignored.

"You're a freshman..Are you friends with my brother?"

"Yes! Well, no..well..kind of, I guess" Sakura stammered out. He nodded understandingly.

"So this is the source of your 'stupid things'"

Sakura nodded sadly, eyes downcast.

"I'm sure I'm not the first to tell you that my brother is very foolish and inconsiderate," he told her gently, looking into her eyes. "He's even more foolish for hurting such a nice girl."

Goddamn. She really needed to stop blushing.

"Thanks, I really needed that," she smiled sweetly, very thankful at least one of the Uchiha brothers was nice to her.

"Though…" She looked at him nervously, waiting for some bitter comment.

"You aren't the best at staying on task," he teased, gesturing to their assignment. She sighed.

"You're right," she admitted. "I don't want Kakashi to start hating us both."

Itachi smirked,

"Don't worry, I don't think you're a very hate-able person."

* * *

The Halloween party Naruto's dad had promised was definitely a lot more crazy than she had expected. Loud music boomed top 40 hits over the chatter of people, and many were dancing lewdly in the center. The house was packed—the majority surprisingly being upperclassmen. Well, she couldn't deny Naruto's popularity, especially since he was one of two freshman on the varsity team. The only other one was….

….Sasuke.

Dammit, she promised herself she wouldn't think about him. Thanks to him, her friendship with Ino was sketchy at best (she barely talked to her now), her self-confidence was trashed, and she got very apprehensive for what lunch hour would bring everyday.

It had been only a week, but it felt like ages.

Would he be here?

She had taken forever to pick out a costume that wasn't horribly slutty, since that seemed to be all that stores carried these days, Eventually she settled on a pirate costume that, while being a tad short, was still a fuller skirt and covered her boobs. It was a crimson dress with a fitted black jacket on top with red swirls around it, and there was a hat to match. To go along with the theme, she wore black lace-up boots and carried a ridiculously cheesy foam sword. (which she planned on using to hit anyone who got close to her butt)

She looked around for someone she knew, only to have a hand sneak across her waist.

"Hey babyface," a familiar voice whispered seductively in her ear. She turned to see a familiar pale-haired boy.

"Suigetsu. How kind of you to join me," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Anything for you, sexy," he smirked, nuzzling her hair, much to her surprise. He was normally very flirty, but this seemed way different.

"Suigetsu…are…you.."

"Drunk? Aah, you caught me," he giggled. Now she could see his flushed cheeks and dilated pupils.

"A lot of people came here like this because Naruto said there wouldn't be anything here," he explained, though a little slurred.

"That's rude to Naruto," Sakura frowned. "You could get in trouble."

"Don't be so uptight, princess! You act like you've never done it before.."

"Well of course I haven't!"

"_What?_" he said, shocked. "I knew you were innocent, but fuck.."

The presence of a new body interrupted them, saving Sakura from what was sure to be an awkward conversation.

She looked to see her savior, only to come face to face with a vampire.

Well, Itachi Uchiha dressed as a vampire. (Which was a very attractive look for him. She definitely burned a mental image into her mind)

"Is something wrong, Suigetsu?" he asked menacingly, making the boy's face pale. Afterall, he understood a therat even in this state.

"Uh..n-nothing. I'll be leaving now. Byesakuraseeyouinclass."

As he staggered away, Itachi gave her a sympathetic look.

"I apologize for him. One of my foolish brother's friends. Not exactly good company to keep."

"He's usually not that extreme," Sakura defended. "But thanks anyway."

He led her to a quieter part of the house, where there were only a few people talking and well…making out. Sakura did her best to ignore them.

"I didn't think you were the type to go to parties," Sakura teased in attempts of conversation.

"I could say the same for you, Miss first-in-the-class," he smirked.

Holy shit. That sounded flirty.

That sounded fucking flirty.

"I like your costume," Sakura said, not knowing what else to say. "It really suits you."

"Drinking blood?" Itachi chuckled. "I'd have to say that is really not my taste. Though you look very pleasant in darker colors."

"Thanks?" she laughed. "It's weird to see people outside of their uniforms. Someone could have the worst clothing choices in the world and we wouldn't know."

"I'm sure you're not one of those," he assured.

"Likewise," she agreed. "You're too good looking for-"

oh my fucking god.

She did not mean to say that out loud.

Oh no.

Her life flashed before her eyes.

This was it.

Her social life was over.

He was going to shame her now.

Just wait for it.

Just wai—"Thank you for your compliment, Sakura."

Okay, that was close.

She had nearly peed herself in fright.

Another dark haired boy rushed over to Itachi at that moment, grabbing him by the arm.

"Come on, Itachi, you gotta see this one—_Who is she~?_"

He looked kind of similar to Itachi by his coloring, but other than that, he was completely different. He was a little taller and had shorter, wavier hair, as well as a playboy attitude that she could feel right away.

"This is Sakura," Itachi sighed, containing some sort of frustration for the male.

"Sakura Haruno?"

"Uh..yeah. That's me," Sakura said sheepishly.

"I'm Shisui," he grinned. "Nice to finally meet you, but I gotta steal Romeo away from you."

"That's okay…?"

Romeo?

Itachi frowned, before giving her a reluctant nod goodbye.

"Oh and Sakura-" Shisui started.

"Yes?"

"You got a really nice set of tits."

And at that, he ran away with Itachi (who was glaring at him profusely) to another part of the party.

Well.

She should probably find someone else to talk to now.

….what the hell just happened?

* * *

**I think I made a typo in the last chapter, and to clarify—Suigetsu is in Sakura's History class, and this is the first time she's officially met Shisui. I'll try to find and fix that typo in the last chapter. Whoops~**

**I mix up Suigetsu, Shisui, and Shizune. (Just their names. WHY WOULD YOU MAKE CHARACTERS SO SIMILAR)**

**Rate and review and all that jazz.**


	4. November: Freshman

**Sorry if the quality is lacking—I've been preparing like crazy for my school's musical auditions (Tuesday! Holy shit! I'm nervous!).**

**If I get the part, I promise 3 chapters in one weekend.**

**If I don't, there's going to be angst bleeding out of every line.**

**Cast list December 17****th****.**

**Let's do this.**

**Disclaimer: I diss this claim.**

* * *

_**Contact: Douchebag McDouche**_

_**Send Message?**_

_Hey, I heard what you said to Sakura, asshole._

(30 minutes later)

_Answer me!_

_It's none of your business._

_Of course it is! You like her, so why are you treating her like shit?_

…_._

_I may not know much about girls, but I know being a dick sure wont help you win her over._

_Itachi likes her._

_WHAT?!_

_He always gets everything._

_Come on, there's no way she'd choose him over you._

_Hn._

_Stop feeling all emo and win her over with your mysterious-guy charm shit that girls go crazy over._

_Fine._

_WHOO! YOU CAN DO IT1_

_Shut up._

_I'll go to tutoring for lunch so you two can be alone. (;_

* * *

They sat in silence, Sakura's eyes focused intently below her.

Her sandwich was apparently very interesting today.

"Sakura."

She glanced to the side. _Ooh, how lovely that gum on the floor looks._

"Sakura."

She bit her lip.

"Sakura! Look at me!" he said sternly, causing her timid gaze to shift to his (sexy) face.

"Y-yeah?" she mumbled quietly.

"I…..I'm sorry about before," he said carefully, as if unused to the phrase.

"What?" she gasped, utterly shocked. Sasuke was definitely not the type to apologize for anything under any circumstances. Was her water drugged or something? Is this a dream?

"I hurt you. I was having a bad day and I took it out on someone I li—someone I was close to."

Her heart fluttered in the way where her throat closed up, and her head swam with a buzzy feeling. No matter how she tried, there was no way she could ever hate him.

Always blamed herself, never hi, no matter how many tears ran down her cheeks when she was alone in her room, desperately hoping for a text, facebook message, _anything_ from him. It was pathetic, and she knew it, but she couldn't help herself.

"Sasuke…"

"You're going to the football game, right?" She nodded.

"We can hang out after."

Suddenly everything she had done to impress him the last few months had finally manifested itself into this one moment.

"That sounds great," she grinned, still light-headed. "I'll be there to cheer you on."

"Perfect," he smirked.

Even the bell ringing couldn't snap her out of her daze, so Sasuke had to pull her up to lead her to Math, otherwise she would've sat there dreamily for the rest of the day.

_I am sooo wearing my lucky underwear Thursday night._

* * *

The next day, she couldn't help but spill the details of her planned "date" to every one of her girlfriends. (aka: Ino and Hinata) Though neither one looked terribly excited about it, she continued on happily.

"I'm not even sure what he meant by 'hanging out,'" Sakura admitted. "Maybe watch a movie? Snuggle? Go out to eat? Kiss me goodnight?"

"Hook up with you then brag to his friends?" Ino interrupted bitingly. "He hurt you once. Why are you being so stupid?"

"Let Sakura decide for herself what she wants to do," Hinata softly replied to her green-eyed friend's defense. "Though I do not approve 100%, I still respect her choice."

"Shut up, Hinata, you know she'd be better off with Deidara or Neji," Ino scowled. "You should be focusing on the guys in your life that treat you well. No matter how attractive Sasuke is, you can tell he's on the road to be a major playboy. Do you really want to be one of the first notches on his bed post?"

"Ino!" Sakura harshly whispered, looking to make sure Mr. Sarutobi hadn't heard from his spot grading papers at his desk. "Can't you just be happy for me?"

"No."

The air was tense and awkward, and Sakura had no other choice but to face the homework on her desk and focus on conjugating the verbs on the worksheet.

_Ino isn't right. She doesn't know anything. Sasuke wouldn't do that to me._

* * *

_**Contact: Little brother**_

_**Send Message?**_

_Sasuke. What time does your game start tonight?_

_7pm like always…why?_

_I've decided to go tonight. _

_Why?_

_Itachi, answer me. Why?_

* * *

Sakura sat in the stands as the game was close to ending, feeling the chilly November air brush her cheeks and blow some of her long hair around. She wore an oversized crimson sweater with black leggings underneath, paired with matching leather riding boots.

Casual. Classy.

Definitely planned out.

Her eyes struggled to stay on Sasuke because the players ran around quickly, and his trademark hair was covered by the thick green helmets. At least she knew he did well, because his name kept being announced as aiding in three of the five touchdowns the team had scored.

The other team couldn't even compare.

She was watching the cheerleaders flounce around excitedly, particularly Ino, whose uniform skirt looked like it had been hemmed to be at least a few inches higher. However, a voice broke her out of her thoughts, a familiar baritone.

"Sakura, fancy seeing you here," Itachi smiled softly, walking up the stands to greet her. "Mind if I sit next to you? I was getting a little lonely and could use some pleasant company."

"Of course you can sit here!" she giggled, patting the space on her left. He slid next to her, their shoulders touching and a pleasant woodsy smell lightly passing her senses.

"Are you here to see anyone in particular?"

"Yeah, Sasuke asked me to hang out after this."

"What does that mean?" he frowned.

"Not sure."

"My little brother tends to have the social skills of a freshly spawned fish."

He didn't even realize his comment has that funny until peal of laughter erupted from Sakura, giving him an opportunity keep the image of her overjoyed expression in his memory.

"That..is…..actually pretty true," she admitted, wiping the hints of tears gathering in her eyes

"Well, I've lived with him for 14 years, unfortunately.."

"Come on, you don't have a _little bit_ of brotherly love hidden in you?" she teased punching his shoulder lightly.

The game had ended a few minutes ago, but since it had been an obvious win, neither teenager was distracted by it.

At the same moment, Sasuke was frantically searching the crowd for Sakura, ignoring the desperate calls from a few of the cheerleaders.

"Sasuke! You were awesome!"

"Did you see my stunt?"

"We would never win without you~!"

The exit seemed far too crowded for Sakura to be at, so he went to were he thought he saw her earlier, in the middle of the left stands.

And sure enough, there she was, sitting next to his brother. Suddenly, Sasuke realized why Itachi wanted to go to the game. And he had been foolish enough to not foresee it. Cheeks dusted with pink, Sakura definitely looked welcoming, laughing excitedly at something Itachi had just said. He had never seen his brother enamored with anyone, and of all people….

..something akin to rage bubbled through his veins.

So he left without meeting her, ignoring his hopeful promise to hang out after, one-on-one. It could have been his big chance, the most important night of his life so far. But with Itachi in the picture, it was useless. His older brother _always_ got what he wanted, whether it was being first in his class to being the MVP of the Basketball team for four years straight. It was so obvious that his parents were much more proud of him then of anything Sasuke had ever done.

He thought that this year, he could win in just one category, getting the first girl who didn't mind the company of, but it looked like Itachi had already beaten him to it. He shouldn't have even tried. His fate was sealed as soon as he overheard Itachi claim to like her.

His eyes stung. He blamed it on the sweat.

* * *

_9:30pm: Where are you? I can't see you…_

_9:35pm: The stadium's almost empty. We're still hanging out, right?_

_9:38pm: Sasuke?_

* * *

"Itachi, do you know where Sasuke is?" Sakura asked, trying her best to hide her hurt expression.

Too late.

Itachi Uchiha doesn't miss anything.

"He texted me that he left," Itachi answered carefully. "Were you supposed to meet here?"

"Oh. Well, um..I guess it wasn't important," she whispered, mostly to herself.

"I should go home, then. I probably should be studying anyways," she added with a saccharine-sweet smile. However, her companion wouldn't take that.

"I'm driving you home."

* * *

Itachi walked into his house stiffly, slamming the front door, eyes going straight to Sasuke, who was walking to his bedroom in his usual sleep-clothes. At that moment, he nearly lost control of the calm façade he was well known for.

"Aren't you such a gentleman," he growled. "Are you always so chivalrous to woman? Or is Sakura just an exception?"

"Stay out of my business," Sasuke grumbled defensively, avoiding Itachi's steely glare.

"Only when you stop being so childish."

"Well _you're_ the creepy Senior trying to get in a Freshman girl's pants!" Sasuke accused, eyes fiery. "You're worse than Shisui!"

"…and you're the boy who stood up a sweet girl just to feel better about himself."

"Well what do _you _even know about her?"

"More than you've ever cared to find out."

"I…uh.." Sasuke managed to retort, making it clear who (won) had the last say in the argument.

He stormed off into his room.

Itachi sighed in aggravation, until he was interrupted by his phone buzzing in his pocket, signaling an incoming text.

_As he pulled up to her house, he handed her a slip of paper with 10 digits scrawled in elegant print._

"_When you need someone to talk to, don't hesitate," he told her, rubbing her upper arm comfortingly before she stepped out, clutching the note to her chest with a tight grip. He watched her walk to her door, but when she got to the front porch, before walking in, she mouthed the words: "Thank you."_

* * *

Friday, she had no choice: she had to go to auditions. She was definitely not in the mood, but it was during lunch hour, so she gladly walked to the auditorium to meet Deidara. He gave her an excited hug as soon as she walked in, pulling her to sit next to him as the director began her little speech.

Apparently, Mrs. Sarutobi had a wide appreciation of the arts, because apparently she was the leader of everything music-related at Konoha Academy.

Unfortunately, that still didn't make her words interesting.

Go up..sing the song…blahblah

Then do the monologue….whatever…

Cast list after school.

Deidara gave her hand a tight squeeze, snapping her to attention with a dark blush spreading across her cheeks.

"You'll do great," he whispered huskily in her ear, his breath dancing across her sensitive neck. (and certainly not helping her blushing situtation)

Little did she know that Mrs. Sarutobi had definitely seen that, and a pleased (interested) smirk definitely crossed her bright red lips.

* * *

Ino apparently took the musical casting very seriously, for some godknowswhat reason, so as soon as gym ended, she dragged her friend to where the list was posted.

"You better get that lead with Deidara," Ino said determinedly. _And fall in love with him instead that fuckface Sasuke._

"I don't think I even made it, Ino," Sakura sighed. "I'm not the musical-theater type. Mrs. Sarutobi would cast someone with more experience."

As they neared the area outside the art room, the amount of people present alarmed them both. Apparently the entire school really cared about this..

A head of blonde popped into their vision.

"OH MY FUCKING GOD, SAKURA!" Naruto cheered. "YOU GOT THE LEAD!"

Ino yelped in excitement. "Who's the guy?!"

"Deidara," Naruto frowned. "But Sakura can always beat him up when he gets annoying."

Ino turned to her friend, who looked like she was experiencing the symptoms of acute shock. She shook her shoulders. "You get to kiss Deidara, you lucky bitch!"

"Oh yeah, she does," Deidara smirked, walking over to the pair. "Not gonna lie, this show is going to be the best thing ever!"

He hugged her tightly, crushing her lungs and squeezing her soft body against his. Neji interjected, pulling the exuberant blonde off of the poor girl.

"Deidara, I need to take Sakura home," he frowned. "Please get off."

"Fine.." Deidara sighed, disappointed. "You're no fun, Mr. Sophomore President."

Ignoring him, Neji turned to Sakura, who was at his side, and rubbed his hand on her lower back in encouragment.

"You're going to do great, Sakura," he smiled at her, mustering every ounce of Neji-charm he had within him. "You excel at everything, I'm sure this will be no different."

Blush. Smile. Nod.

"Thanks, Neji. Let's go find Hinata so we can get home and I can tell my mom!"

A pair of eyes watched them leave, belonging to a brooding dark-haired boy standing next to Naruto.

"Come on, douchebag. Don't let it phase you."

His hands balled into fists.

"Too late."

* * *

It was late Sunday night, and though Sakura did have _some_ social contact on the weekends, she was surprised to see an incoming call. Without looking at the caller, she picked up, smoothing out her pajamas before plopping on her lavender bed sheets.

"Hello?"

"Sakura."

"Who is this?"

"Sasuke. You didn't just read the fucking caller ID?"

Frown.

She was still very hurt over what he did Thursday, and this was the first time he had spoke to her since. He had avoided her like the plague in Math on Friday, and he was long overdue for an apology.

Or at least an excuse…Geez.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Yes."

"…..will you tell me what it is?"

"You."

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean by-"

"It's you prancing around like a slut, hanging on to every single asshole who talks to you like some attention-starved whore. At first it was just my brother, but you've attached yourself like an annoying leech to Neji, Deidara…hell, even Kiba."

"I never-"

"Shut the fuck up. It's pathetic. I don't want to be another boy that you try to seduce by flaunting your ugly ass. I really never want to see you again."

"But S-Sasuke, I-"

Now tears were streaming down, whimpers barely being suppressed behind the hand she kept tightly over her mouth. _This isn't happening. This isn't real. I'm imagining this. It's just a dream. I'll wake up now and.._

"Ever. Again."

-click-

Words cannot describe how quickly her word crashed around her, the pieces of her life that she had so delicately held together now falling apart and cutting her open, revealing every nasty feeling she ever had about herself.

Stupid.

Ugly.

Annoying.

* * *

Miles away in the large Uchiha mansion, Sasuke lay down on a couch, pupils dilated and skin heated. His brother walked in, took one look at him, and made an audible noise of shock.

"Sasuke…are you _drunk_?"

* * *

Monday morning, Sakura begged her mother to let her stay home, but to no avail. So she sat through every class perfectly silent, eyes distant and mouth set in a firm line.

Even her closest friends knew it was no situation to talk to her, even if just trying to comfort her.

Everyone else in the school was excited about tomorrow being their last day of school before Thanksgiving break, but Sakura bypassed the mood completely. And now she sat in English, Itachi, Sasori, and Neji giving her worried looks as she looked at a blank page for at least 10 minutes, completely at a loss for what to write for her paper on Hamlet's love for Ophelia.

Two weeks ago she could've written 3 pages in a heartbeat, now she just felt tears prickle her eyes.

The bell rang, and Kakashi came over, placing a large hand on her shoulder.

"Sakura..you have lunch next, right?"

Hesitant nod.

"You're staying in and telling me why my top student doesn't even have the energy to pick up her pencil."

The rest of the students had filed out, so she was left alone with her teacher to drop her act of indifference. Tears started welling up, much to her chagrin.

"It's s-stupid," she dismissed, standing up to walk away, only to have Mr. Hatake grab her again.

"No it's not."

"There's this boy."

He nodded, urging her on.

"And even though it sounds stupid, I thought that he liked me a lot, and even though he was mean sometimes, I thought he j-just didn't know how to exp-press his f-f-feelings, but now…"

He looked at her expectantly.

"Last night he called me on the phone and called me a whore and said I flirted with every boy I met and that I was ugly and annoying and never wanted to see me again…and I…I…I…I really don't know what to do with myself now. I hate myself so much and I don't know what to do because I think I might have loved him in some weird fangirl-ish way and even if it was just an obsession I still can't do this…it just h-h-hurts so much…and.."

She dissolved into a mess of tears and sobs, leaping to hug a very surprised Mr. Hatake who now had a tear-soaked shirt and a weeping teenage girl in his arms.

"Sakura.."

She muffled her cries in his chest. Under normal circumstances, she would've blanched at the idea of hugging a teacher in such an intimate manner, but right now she was just so upset she needed someone to hold and keep her calm and tell her everything was going to be alright even though it wasn't.

"Whoever this boy is, he's stupid." She looked up to meet his eyes, realizing that she never noticed the pupil of one was slightly red, and had a faint scar crossing over it. She briefly wondered what sorts of pain _he _had experienced in his life. Certainly nothing so trivial as a broken teenage heart.

"Don't belittle yourself. You are a very smart girl with high potential, and you shouldn't hold yourself back by this immature kid."

Her confused face prompted him to continue.

"Is he in your lunch hour?"

"Y-yes."

"Well, until you find someone else to spend your time with 6th period, you can stay in here and do homework or whatever you wish."

Her face lit up. He didn't do the stereotypical teacher thing of telling her to "approach her fears," rather, he actually helped.

Then she realized what a compromising position they were in. She stumbled back awkwardly.

"Sorry…" she apologized softly.

"It's okay," he assured. "Though I've never had a student hug me before..hah.."

She gulped. "Again…sorry."

"Do you want me to send you to the nurse so you could go home? I could vouch for you and say that you're sick. And if you don' come in tomorrow, you won't see this asshole until after Fall Break."

Her face lit up.

"Could you?" she grinned, the sad expression from before completely gone. He almost chuckled at her childish ways. He pulled out a pass and signed it, handing it to her so she could go down to the office.

"Enjoy your vacation."

* * *

After that, Kakashi definitely made it his mission to go to every one of Sakura's teachers to tell them that she had a "rough situation going on" and to be considerate when she got back. No details farther than that, of course. He was now feeling like a protective father and wanted to make sure the poor girl wasn't tortured even more emotionally.

The only trouble he had was with a certain Mr. Uchiha.

"Why are _you_ the one telling me this, Kakashi?" the handsome man spit out, very irritated for a reason that eluded the grey-haired English teacher.

"She approached me, and we talked."

"Why you?" he glared.

"She just seemed to trust me, Madara….I don't know for sure. Why?"

"No reason," he grumbled. "Unless you're going to tell me _exactly_ what's happening with Sakura you have no reason to be in here."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "Like hell I'd tell you. She obviously doesn't want to share private details of her life with her creepy Biology teacher."

"Get the fuck out."

Kakashi slammed the door on the way out, leaving Madara to kick his trash can over in a flash of rage.

"FUCK!" he yelled, before calming himself by running his hands through his thick hair. Kakashi and him already couldn't stand to be in the same room together, but now…knowing that his favorite student liked _Kakashi_ the most…he was pissed beyond belief.

This shouldn't be affecting him.

This is stupid, this shouldn't be affecting him.

There's no reason for this to affect him

…It's affecting him.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUUUUN!**

**Well hey, wrote that in an hour. Hell yeah. Not going to lie, I felt really guilty writing some bits of this, and definitely laid on the angst a little thick. Oh well. The drama continues next month, in the ever-crazy month of December!**

**I didn't have time to re-read this, so there's bound to be a shitton of mistakes. Sorry 'bout that! I'll fix them later, I just really wanted to make my usual Sunday deadline. (;**

**Until next week~**


	5. Thanksgiving Break: Freshman

**Sorry for not updating Sunday! I was grounded from the computer, and have to type this in one of the school's computer labs during my lunch hour. **

**And I know this is short. December will be shitfuck long, though**

**Disclaimer: don't own the characters/plot/stuff. Just the romance and drama. (and angst)**

* * *

_**Contact: Sakura**_

_**Options: Call/Text/Picture message**_

_**Send Message?**_

_I noticed you were very comatose in English two days ago. Are you okay? Do you want to share?_

_Not the details._

_Is it who I think it is?_

_Yes._

_Sasuke._

_Yes. And this time, there is no way I can forgive him._

_What did he do?_

_Basically called me a whore and how ugly I am._

_You don't believe that's true, do you? That is the exact opposite of who you really are._

_Thanks, but it still hurts._

_Do you want me to talk to him?_

_No._

_Maybe it's for the better. Now you know the ugly side of him, so you won't get hurt again if you avoid him._

_I guess you're right. I just feel stupid._

_Don't. You are the most amazing girl I've ever met._

* * *

And as their conversation continued, Itachi swore two things: He would never mention how Sasuke was most likely drunk when he told her off, and he would vow to use this opportunity to show Sakura that he was the best man in her life. Sasuke was making this too easy for him.

Classical music floated through the air, filling the stern silence at a table full of well-made Thanksgiving staples. The house looked like it could be featured in "Better Homes and Gardens," with the walls lavishly decorated, tablecloth made of soft cotton, plates of delicate porcelain, and furniture a deep mahogany. The four people sitting at the large table were all attractive and somber, each having immaculately pale skin, shining onyx hair, and dark eyes. Their portions were meager, leading to believe they were very accustomed to extravagent food and elegance.

A petite woman sat at one end, hair smooth and body lean. She wore a simple navy dress, but it was obvious it was the work of some expensive designer. At the other side, a somber man with smooth hair and a slight frown sat, his presence intimidating and powerful. Rounding out the table were Sasuke and Itachi, both staring at their plates, eating very little, as their minds seemed to be elsewhere on some unspoken problems.

"So, Itachi," the older man started, voice deep and demanding. "You will graduate very soon. Have you found a woman to pursue as a possible wife?"

"Why do you ask, father?" Itachi politely answered, eyes lowered.

"You must start early. I fully expect you to be married by the time you enter law school, and women tend to wait a few years to consider a proposal."

Itachi looked to his mother for support, but all he got was a complacent smile. Though Mikoto Uchiha was a very caring, comforting woman at heart, around her husband, she played the role of an obedient wife. Sasuke, looking over, snorted in cynical amusement.

"Don't worry; he's got a girl in mind."

His father turned his steely gaze unto his youngest son. "Who is it?"

Itachi gave his brother the most homicidal look that had ever crossed his face, to the point where Sasuke was legitimately scared. Though he felt bitter and vengeful, he swallowed his pride and decided it would probably be best to stay quiet.

"I was…uh…just kidding," he stumbled out. His father's glare intensified.

"Well then don't bother to grace us with your stupidity if you do not have anything to say," he said sharply. And Sasuke, in the midst of an emotion he would later label as "fucking tired of this crap," rose up sharply, muttered something about how he was full, and stomped off into his room.

The table was quiet.

"You should check on your brother," Mrs. Uchiha offered softly. "He seems troubled."

_No shit._

"I will," Itachi sighed. "May I be excused?"

"After we clean up the table," his father ordered. His wife was about to protest, but she then caught herself and closed her mouth.

"Why…yes. That sounds like a good idea," she agreed weakly.

It only took a few minutes, after which, Itachi quickly stepped over to Sasuke's room to give him a brotherly lecture on the importance of keeping the family calm. However, he stopped when he heard water running in the adjacent bathroom, the door barely cracked open. What he saw nearly stopped his breath, because of all things he expected from his younger brother, the last thing would be the troubled teen downing the pills their father took for his severe knee pain.

Vicodin.

_**webmd:**_

_**This combination medication is used to relieve moderate to severe pain. It contains a narcotic and nonnarcotic pain reliever. Hydrocodone works in the brain to change how your body feels and responds to pain**_

And it was at this moment that Itachi did something he would never be proud of.

He ignored it.

Without saying or doing anything, he went to "report" back, formulating some bullshit explanation of Sasuke taking time to work on an English essay. He knew that he was being a terrible brother and human being, but at the moment, he was utterly disgusted with Sasuke's recent behavior. So what if he wanted to fuck up his life? He probably just wanted attention. First lashing out at Sakura, now this...there was definitely something wrong with his moral code.

A buzzing in his pocket disturbed his thoughts.

_How do I avoid him if we have 6th hour lunch every day? My schedule doesn't change next semester. _

_I have that period free starting December. I'd be happy to distract you from your other less-than-desirable company._

* * *

Idle chatter filled the large house, hordes of brilliantly dressed men and women sipping champagne and socializing. The only thing remotely Thanksgiving-related was the autumn color scheme and a few turkey-based foods on the large banquet table.

When you are the most distinguished family in the area, Thanksgiving wasn't time to "give thanks" while sitting down to the stereotypical turkey/mashed potatoes/pumpkin pie dinner, but an opportunity to flaunt your riches and gain social status. And the Hyuuga's did just that.

They approached the room like a battlefield to be conquered, planning out ahead of time who to talk to and what they should say. In order to make contacts and further their prestigious business, they needed to suck up and play nice as best they could.

Hiashi, a stern man in his 40's, was the head of it all, so he was "in charge" of going up to the other businessmen, subtly mentioning ways they could collaborate in the future. His wife, a forgettable woman in her 30's, made sure to dress herself and her daughter in tasteful outfits copied right out of Mouge Vagazine. The daughter, a softspoken girl that tried her best to hide her social anxiety, stayed glued at her mother's side, even though it was anything but enjoyable.

"And this is Hinata," her mother introduced to a small circle of other wealthy women, gesturing to her daughter. "Isn't she beautiful in her dress? It just came in at Golche and Dabbana."

_Funny_. Hinata thought bitterly. _Just 10 minutes ago she was scolding me for looking so fat, and how soon I won't be able to fit into designer clothes._

The others agreed, though it was more of a social necessity than a positive opinion.

"It's a shame that she's dating some uncultured boy whose parents are _manual labor workers_."

Gasps. Widened eyes.

"Such a waste.." the mother lamented. Hinata stood there in shock. _She'd even bring this up here? Why can't mother and father just leave Naruto and I along? We aren't hurting anybody!_

Someone cleared their throat next to her, causing her to turn and face her savior: her cousin Neji.

"Actually, even though Naruto was raised in a poorer family, he has been quite successful on his own," he interjected, causing his Aunt's eyes to narrow, silently commanding him to shut his mouth.

He didn't.

"He is quarterback of the Varsity football team as a Freshman, and although his academics are not particularly exceptional, he helps his parents around the house while maintaining passing grades in all of his classes. He is friendly and charismatic, and has dreams of becoming a Senator when he is older."

The group was silent, with the socialites trying their best to subtly walk away. Before Hinata's mother could say anything, Neji continued.

"If you don't mind, Auntie, I wish to take Hinata for a minute."

And before he could get any sort of answer, he pulled Hinata by her shaking hand to an unoccupied corner of the room. Once they stopped, he faced her boldly, staring into her watery eyes.

"N-Neji, I don't k-know what to-"

"..You don't need to thank me. You just need to learn to stand up for yourself eventually," he muttered, as if he couldn't believe that he was coming to the defense of Naruto and Hinata's relationship, which he had previously scorned. But something about overhearing her mother's spiteful comments and seeing Hinata's petrified expression sparked something in him.

She then flew into his arms, squeezing him tightly as she cried. Even though the contact was awkward for him, it still served to comfort her, and the tears dissipated in a manner of minutes. As she broke away, her expression was remorseful.

"I'm sorry for bringing up Sakura in the car that one day in front of Sasuke," she choked out. "I shouldn't try to make you jealous of the other boys she sees."

He nodded, knowing that this apology was well due.

"I just...really want her to be happy, and I can't think of anyone more respectful than my secretly romantic cousin," she smiled weakly. His lips tugged into a slight grin.

"In case you didn't guess, I support you and Naruto together now."

"In case you didn't guess, I support you and Sakura getting together now."

"No, seriously," he said. "Think of me as an over-protective big brother or something."

"Oh Neji," she giggled lightly. "I always have."

* * *

_She sighed out softly, squeezing her hands into fists to get rid of the negative emotions running through her. _

"_I'm not afraid of you, I'm only afraid of losing you. I feel like you're gonna disappear," she whispered._

"_You don't know how long I've waited for you. And so the lion fell in love with the lamb," he smirked, gazing into her eyes with adoration and love._

"_What a stupid lamb," she laughed. He joined in._

"_What a sick, masochistic lion."_

"How is she sure that he _really_ loves her? Maybe he's just using her for her blood."

"I don't think Stephenie Meyers would appreciate you tearing apart her masterpiece, Sakura."

"Maybe she is getting her hopes up so he can crush her later."

"Why can't you be a normal teenage girl and enjoy this? When I was your age, I adored these cheesy romantic movies."

The two sat side by side on the large couch, buried under mountains of fluffy blankets while their eyes were glued to the vampires frolicing on the tv screen in front of them. Empty plates that once held gooey slices of cheese pizza and kettle corn littered the floor around them, and now, they both clutched onto steaming cups of Barstucks lattes.

(aka every single woman's dream)

They were mother and daughter, but most of the time, their bond was much more sisterly. After all, Shizune was in her early 30's, very close to Sakura's 14 years. (Old ladies in grocery stores often scolded the dark-haired mother for "obviously having a child when she was too young.")

"Sakura.." Shizune said, concerned for her daughter's mental state. "Still don't want to talk about it?"

"Yeah," Sakura frowned, avoiding eye contact.

"I did buy pumpkin pie ice cream to get in the Holiday spirit~" she offered, wiggling her eyebrows.

"It's beyond ice cream, but that will definitely help," Sakura sighed, massaging her shoulders lightly to relieve some nervous tension.

As Shizune got up to go to the freezer (the living room was connected to the kitchen for easy access), Sakura spoke up, still fixed on the pallid expressions of Bella Swan.

"Am I ugly?"

She could hear Shizune go through a painful mix of a cough and a choked gasp.

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

Well that was something. The lady never swore, always scolding Sakura for her little slips of the tongue.

Minutes passed, and Shizune eventually came back with large bowls stuffed with ice cream, (giving the larger of the two to Sakura) and a book in her hand.

"What's that?" Sakura asked.

"A self help book," Shizune answered smugly, before clearing her throat and opening to a random page.

"Beauty is only skin deep. If you go after someone just because she's beautiful but don't have anything to talk about, it's going to get boring fast. You want to look beyond the surface and see if you can have fun or if you have anything in common with this person. - Amanda Peet"

"Beauty is whatever gives joy. -Edna St. Vincent Millay"

"Shizune, you know these are meant to apply to every single person that reads them, right? Even the ugliest people in the world." The woman addressed shot her daughter a glare to keep her quiet before continuing.

"And lastly...Love yourself so other people can love you, believe in yourself so other people can believe in you, trust yourself so other people can trust you and be nothing but yourself."

"..that one was actually pretty beautiful. Who said that one?"

"I did," Shizune said smugly. Sakura rolled her eyes. "No, seriously."

"You are the weirdest mom ever. When most daughters bitch about their love lives, mothers should just tell them to suck it up...While you read me self-help quotes from a book you bought last year when you broke up with that one asshole."

"I _do_ have a EyePhone app for them, too," Shizune grinned. "Here, lemme download it for you."

She then grabbed for Sakura's phone that had been lying innocently on the side table, ignoring Sakura's attempts to shoo her away.

"What, you got something to hide?" Shizune laughed before reading the screen. Her face lit up.

"Who is Itaaachii~?" she asked gleefully. "That is a boy name, right?"

Sakura flushed. "No one. No one at all. You're overthinking things."

"Oh, so he's cute."

"W-WHAT!? WHY ARE YOU-!"

Broken sobs startled them both from their heated exchange, bringing them to face Bella blubbering over Edward on the screen. Edward then reached forward to the girl, eyes locking in his typical serious gaze.

"_Bella, I couldn't live with myself if I ever hurt you. You don't know how it's tortured me. The thought of you, still, white, cold…to never see you blush scarlet again, to never see that flash of intuition in your eyes when you were though my pretenses...it would be unendurable."_

_He looked down as if considering his next words carefully._

"_You are the most important thing to me now. The most important thing to me ever."_

* * *

**hahah that was so shitty.**

**In case you didn't guess, I didn't get the part. Lost it to a sophomore. At least practically everyone in the school knows I should have gotten it. All I have to do is play my part perfectly and steal the show.**

**duh.**

**And if you want some sweet KibaSaku or dirty SasoSaku, I'm updating my "All I Want for Christmas.." stories. Hopefully I can knock out a lot of the chapters before break is over, because I feel weird updating a Holiday story in..July or whatever. But I promise that it is my goal to finish School Days by the time school starts next year. Pinkie Promise. (;**


	6. December: Freshman

**About time I posted this thing. Seriously. Between school, finals, musical practice, and college applications, I didn't think I'd even survive. But nevertheless, I'm back! **

**I spent the day eating plain bagels, drinking a 2 liter of Diet Coke, watching the movie "Ghost Ship," and then starting Game of Thrones. (I only got through the first two episodes so far, though. My verdict: holy boobs. And the white-haired girl is ridiculously gorgeous, my god.) Somehow this came out of all of this.**

**So readreadreadreviewreadreadre ad!**

* * *

_**Contact: Gaara (Bio)**_

_**Option: Send Message**_

_Hey, this is Sakura from Bio! Did I miss anything important before break?_

_You missed a fairly intense lab, and a quiz went along with it._

_Ah, shit. What was it on?_

_Effects of heat and light on chloroplasts taken from aquatic plants._

…_Okay so I'm definitely gonna go in for help._

_With Mr. Uchiha?_

_Well, who else..?_

_He's a dick._

_Um..okay. But he's the teacher.._

_I can help you. _

_Okay! I'll just probably have to get him to clear that, but that will be really nice. (:_

_You're welcome._

* * *

Sakura just couldn't believe it. She had put it so much effort over time, but apparently it wasn't enough. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, and it took a hell of a lot of willpower not to start crying in the middle of the drive home from school. She knew it had been coming, but she never had guessed the overwhelming magnitude of the issue.

Finals were coming up.

Being an overachiever usually worked in her benefit, but when she was faced with this much work, she'd most likely be spending all her free time hunched over the desk in her room, pouring over textbooks and notes furiously until she passed out from exhaustion. (The life of a High Schooler has never looked so glamorous)

Normally she'd have Hinata's soothing words comforting her at this point, but ever since Neji had suddenly taken a likening to NaruHina, the quiet girl went home with Naruto most school days.

Which left her alone in a car with Neji, who has been a contender for the "least empathetic male" award since he hit puberty.

Letting another morose sigh pass her lips, Sakura clutched onto the pile of books in her lap tightly, already feeling the backache she'll have from leaning over to read all night. However, she was so busy drowning in self-pity that she failed to see his concerned expression.

Suddenly, without warning, the car started going in the opposite direction. That got Sakura's attention.

"Where are we going?" she asked hesitantly.

"…."

"Nejiii, where are we going?"

"You'll find out," he answered cryptically. It's not like she didn't trust him, but..

"Okay for all I know you're taking me to a crackhouse where I'll be raped and murdered." (She probably could have voiced her worries more eloquently, but whatever)

"Don't worry…"

She smiled in victory.

"..I don't even know where any crackhouses are."

Sigh. Pout. Glare.

"You tell me right now or I'll jump out."

She had been so wrapped up in the mystery that she hadn't noticed the car had arrived at their new destination. The building was tan with the occasional swirl of color near the edges, faintly resembling something of Spanish origin and..

"Oh my god! You brought me to Baco Tell!?"

Neji nodded, pulling in the drive through. "I take it that this is not your first time?"

"Well no shit," Sakura bubbled. "I don't really eat fast food all too often but this place is great."

He stopped at the speaker, carefully detailing the order, and making sure to include Cinnamon Twists. (Much to Sakura's delight) As they waited at the next window for the food to arrive, she finally asked the question that had been bugging her for the past few minutes.

"Who are your friends, Neji?"

Ooh. That had came out a little harsh. She rushed to explain herself before he could answer.

"Ah! I mean, like, I never imagined you'd like cheap food, much less Baco Tell, which means you probably go here with people since no one gets tacos by themselves and I was just wondering, like, who you do that with because I'm curious."

He nodded, thinking it over for a second.

"I'd have to say my closest friends are TenTen and Lee, though Shikamaru is pretty decent to be with as well. And you?"

She froze up.

Woah. She never actually had thought about that.

"Well, I guess my best friend is Hinata, and….um…I'm pretty close with Sasuke's older brother, Itachi. Naruto's probably my best guy friend, and uh…"

He gave her an understanding look.

(Oh, guess he can empathize)

"You don't have to explain. Hinata's already told me about how inexcusably rude Sasuke and that one blonde girl have been to you."

Apparently, Baco Tell employee "Kisame" thought that was a good time to hand their food over, sending a cursory glance to Neji before settling his grin on Sakura.

"Have a nice day," he drawled out, lingering a bit longer than Neji would have liked. To be honest, it looked like they knew each other, but they drove off before Sakura could linger on that thought.

"You looked like you needed some sodium and saturated fats," Neji explained, starting the short drive to her house.

"You sure know how to sweet-talk a lady," Sakura laughed, opening a soft-shell burrito a taking a generous bite.

"And it's pretty obvious that you're stressed over finals."

She swallowed hard. _Am I that easy to read? Geez.._

"The mountain of books you have with you are a great indicator of that," he smirked, clearly amused at the cute antics of a nervous freshman. (He quickly reminded himself that nervous antics should not be considered cute)

"Well, Mister 'I-know-everything,'" Sakura huffed. "How exactly should I go about preparing for the most important tests of my life then?"

"If you've paid attention at all in your classes so far, you'll do fine," he assured.

"Oh good, well then my extra studying will just ensure that-"

"Except with Kakashi. The only person to ever get an A in his class bribed him with a thousand dollars."

She shrunk into the seat and groaned.

"..That was a joke, Sakura," Neji frowned. "I do have a sense of humor sometimes."

"_Sometimes_?"

He actually laughed at that one. It was weird to see him so relaxed, since normally he looks more tense than a rubber band about to snap. (That was probably not the most creative comparison, but whatever.)

"We're here," he finally responded, pulling into her driveway. He offered to help carry Sakura's books to the door, but she declined, though not without a thankful smile. As he left, he could hear her shout '_Thanks for the saturated fats!_' before she faded into the distance.

Once he was gone, Sakura let loose a giddy grin she had kept contained in fear that she'd creep out Neji.

_That was so worth the stomach ache I'll have later._

* * *

The only word that could describe the next morning was 'snow.'

Not that snow was rare or anything, (Konoha was in a mildly temperate climate) but the _first_ snow reminded people of all the good things winter brought: Christmas, cookies, hot cocoa, and all sorts of old-fashioned things Mallhark likes to put on their Holiday greeting cards.

It had first started around the end of 4th period, but it really hadn't precipitated (literally…haha) until English class.

For some reason, Mr. Hatake didn't appreciate Sakura's attention being entirely on the window for the entire 45 minute class period. Neji rolled his eyes, Sasori made some perverted joke about snowmen, and Itachi just chuckled to himself. But none of it fazed Sakura. See, at the Haruno household, the first snow was celebrated in the same way every year: peppermint mocha lattes from Barstucks and a giant tub of peppermint ice cream. (Shizune and Sakura pretty much lived like stereotypical bachelorettes) So there was approximately zero percent chance of her caring about going over the same review on Hamlet that they had done yesterday.

When the bell rang for lunch, she chose to stay glued to the spot, since she was going to stay in anyway. Itachi was about to leave with everyone else, thinking she didn't want to be bothered, when Mr. Hatake pulled him aside in the hallway, right outside the classroom door.

"Uchiha," he greeted.

"Is there something you need, Mr. Hatake?" Itachi asked politely.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Going to…get food?" (He really didn't talk to teachers like this very often. Or ever.)

"Let me rephrase this..," Kakashi sighed. "What the hell are you doing leaving your girl alone?"

"E-excuse me?" (Oh no. You did _not_ just make the oldest Uchiha boy stutter.)

"Come on, I may have most of my face covered, but I'm not blind," Kakashi explained casually. "You like her."

"…uh.."

"And you need to get on that fast"

"..um.."

"Because you've got other boys to worry about."

"Oh. So..uh.."

"And I am totally team Itachi at the moment," Kakashi winked.

Itachi really did not know how to proceed in this social interaction.

"So go in there, dumbass!" Kakashi concluded, half-pushing the boy back into the classroom.

"Okay, Mr. Hatake.." Itachi muttered, more than a little creeped out, but…thankful?

He walked over to Sakura. (ignoring the loud whisper of '_get sooome_' from the hallway)

"Mind if I sit with you?" Itachi asked coolly. He noticed that in the time he had been talking to Kakashi, she had pulled out her math textbook and a few sheets of paper, working diligently on a few problems that even he blanched at.

"Only if you can help me occasionally," she smiled. "I may be a 'math nerd' according to Ibiki, but that doesn't mean it comes naturally."

"Of course," he assured, pulling up a chair and taking out his own work.

They sat calmly for at least 30 minutes, working on their review sheets, and sometimes asking each other questions. Itachi, however, could not focus entirely on the equations in front of him, lulled into a contemplative trance by the falling snowflakes outside.

Currently, he was seriously doubting the _existence_ of 'Team Itachi," much less any chance he had. Okay, so he liked her. Yes. Okay. He knew that already. But why? He stared at her for a bit, Sakura being completely oblivious to his gaze.

Contrary to how it may seem, her looks didn't draw him in first.

He wasn't stupid; he knew there were more than a few boys that appreciated her toned figure and sweet face. Even with his usual gentlemanly nature (that his mother had pounded into his head since he was four), he had caught himself staring at certain parts of her longer than necessary. _Hormones are stupid._ However, she was honest. She was wholesome. She was ridiculously book-smart, but far from wise. She was sweet and innocent, even though she had recently been through the kind of pointless high school drama that normally reduces a girl to a pile of self-loathing. She didn't go out of her way to make friends, yet still held onto the idea that it was possible to please everyone.

In short, she played the role of a tragic female protagonist, destined to have her heart broken and her world shattered. Too pretty. Too trusting. Too vulnerable.

It's no wonder that she drew so many people in. She had the natural ability to make people want to protect her. And Itachi was caught in that exact predicament. But the issue wasn't if _he_ needed her, but if _she_ needed _him._ If they were to get involved, what if he hurt her? What if he wasn't suited for her? What if he damaged her, but she wasn't able to tell him? What if?

He frowned.

This girl made his life far too difficult, he decided.

"Hey, Itachi, have you done problem number seven on page 300 yet?" she asked, breaking through his intense inner monologue. He nodded slowly.

"What part are you having trouble with?"

He liked difficult.

* * *

"Oh. My. Fucking. God. Deidara, are you seeing what I am seeing?" Sasori whispered hurriedly to his blonde friend, stopping his painting mid-stroke.

"What?" Deidara growled, irritated at him for breaking his concentration. He was sketching out what was sure to be one of his best sculptures yet, a flower on the brink of blossoming, petals reaching out to some invisible wind.

"Look at Sakura."

Deidara shot him a glare. "This better not be something perverted."

"Just. Look."

And look he did. Oh he did.

…..and he wished he hadn't.

His face flushed all sorts of crimson (Fun fact: Deidara blushes very easily. He says it's because he's hot-blooded. Sasori says it's because he's a pussy.) and he looked away immediately.

"You saw it, right?" Sasori grinned wolfishly. "God, I wish I could keep her on a shelf at home or something."

"Stop making Sakura sound like a doll to be played with," Deidara hissed. "You're fucking disgusting."

"Excuse me, Mrs. Sarutobi!" Sasori suddenly spoke up, raising his hand sharply. "Can I open another window in here? It's far too warm."

The teacher, stopping in the middle of 'grading' at her computer (they all knew she was just sending steamy emails to her husband), gave him a funny look. "Go right ahead, I guess."

"Thank you," he smiled. Deidara glared.

"You really think it's hot in here?" Sakura asked, looking over to him from her spot at the adjacent table. "I'm freezing!"

"Yeah I can tell," Sasori smirked. She gave him a confused look, but somehow didn't see the absolutely murderous look Deidara gave him.

"D-do you want my jacket, then?" Deidara offered, trying to keep his eyes on her face. (And he did. Good for you, Deidara. Good for you.)

"Nah, I'm fine," she responded sweetly. "You're the closest to the window, you need it the most."

He gulped. "Whatever you say..?"

He heard Sasori laugh behind him and elbowed him hard in the gut.

* * *

5th hour: English.

Sakura was starting to pick up on the fact that something was up with Sasori, mostly because he wouldn't _leave her the fuck alone_.

As he sat down (next to her, and receiving a stern glare from Neji), he looked around the room before delicately adding: "It's a little nippy in here, Sakura. Don't you think?"

She shot him a funny look. "What are you, British?"

He smirked. "No, but I'd love to be Jack Frost nipping at your-"

Suddenly Itachi showed up, took one look at Sakura, and plopped his hoodie over her in one swift motion.

"What are you doing?" she asked, surprised and confused.

"You're cold. Don't pretend you aren't," he explained, taking his seat and seeing Neji nod at him in some sort of respect.

"What the fuck is wrong with everyone today," Sakura muttered to herself.

When the period was over, Itachi and her did their now-usual lunch thing, studying and sitting during 6th hour, but for some reason he reeeally did not want his hoodie back. She practically had to throw it at him while she ran away. What was wrong with him? It was her own fucking fault that she left her jacket at home, so she didn't need his pity.

Fucking winter.

She took back all that shit she said before about it being magical and beautiful.

**AN: I literally just wrote that bit about winter and my power went out, effectively erasing the last few paragraphs. THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T MESS WITH MOTHER NATURE. I AM ON HER HIT LIST NOW.**

* * *

7th period was the same with Sasori in full on creepy-mode, with Neji practically murdering him every time he opened his mouth.

Thankfully Sasuke wasn't there. She really didn't know how to act around him anymore, so it was a good thing the universe decided that she could use a break. However….

"Sakura, I need you to take Sasuke's homework to him tonight," Ibiki commanded in his usual intimidating growl.

"Can't I just get someone else to?" she practically begged.

"It is your responsibility as his math partner," he finalized.

Fucking life,

Fuck.

* * *

8th period, Kiba took one look at her and appeared to have shit his own pants.

"What the fuck is wrong, man?" Suigetsu cut in, before his eyes went wide in realization.

"Winter make you excited, Sakura?" he smirked before being elbowed harshly in the side by a tall newcomer.

"I'm gonna sit next to Sakura today, kid," he said forcefully, pulling Sakura next to him at the table and blocking the other boys' view.

"Shisui!" Sakura said excitedly. "I haven't seen you in forever!"

She paused.

"You're in this class?"

"Orochi-pedo doesn't write me up for cutting his class because he loves my uncle, so I usually don't go," he said, a tone far too casual in Sakura's opinion to be discussing acts of juvenile delinquency.

He sniffed the air for a second. "Hold up, you smell like…Itachi," he observed, then breaking into a big grin. "Why~?"

"Oh, he lent me his hoodie the past few hours," she replied carefully, not understanding why her cheeks flushed a bit. Shisui looked her up and down for a second before looking at her worriedly.

"Are you cold, Sakura?"

"Well…yeah. Freezing. It's winter."

"Have you been cold all day?"

"Yeah, I…"

Oh.

Oh..

_Oh._

She looked down.

Holy titfuckmotherfuckercuntshitf ucktits.

She crossed her arms over her breasts, cheeks unmistakably red. "Thanks for telling me, I guess," she squeaked out.

"You can have my jacket," he said, shrugging it off. "And I think you know why you should keep it."

She pulled it on sharply, zippering it up far enough to cover certain parts of her lady anatomy. Across the room, Kiba and Suigetsu frowned.

Across the school, Sasori suddenly felt a feeling of disappointment wash over him for no apparent reason. Neji, also for no reason, felt a rush of accomplishment.

Deidara had been blushing for the past four hours.

* * *

Thankfully, Mr. Gai had let Sakura take off gym today so that she could make up her Biology lab at the end of the day. 9th hour was Mr. Uchiha's free period, so she had to last a whole 45 minutes under his scrutiny, hopefully not messing anything up and making him think that she was stupid.

Hoodie zipper high and spirits low, she strode into the empty classroom to meet the teacher.

He was sitting at his desk, a deep frown set into his face while he typed quickly, but when he heard her come in, he rose his head sharply and gave her one of those smiles he liked to keep hidden from most of his students. He was actually very nice to her, contrary to how Gaara felt about him.

"_I asked Mr. Uchiha about us making up the lab" Gaara said to Sakura in the hallway between Biology periods, since they had a break in the passing period between 2__nd__ and 3__rd__ period._

"_So? What did he say?"_

"_He said 'absolutely not' in that stupid voice of his," Gaarra frowned. "Apparently I didn't do the lab well enough to help you. He apparently didn't trust my skill and wanted you to work on it with him personally."_

_Sakura sighed. "At least this means my data will be good!"_

_Gaara gave her a worried look. "I don't like him."_

_Sakura laughed. "Yeah, only because he hates you. You're rude to him, but still score so high on the tests that he can't do anything about it."_

"_Yeah. It better stay that way."_

"_Come on, try to be a little more civil…please?" Sakura asked playfully. "I am your lab partner, after all. I can't have him hating me too."_

"_I wouldn't worry about _that_," he muttered with a dark expression on his face. She decided not to press the issue further._

"Ready to discover the wonders of Photosynthesis?" he asked cheerily, rising up and walking over to the materials he had already set up. She faked a dramatic groan.

"Of course! I want nothing more in my life than to observe the wonders of plant pigments!"

He chuckled, waiting for her to pull out her notebook and pencil. However, when she reached over to the test tubes already set out, he stopped her by pushing her hand away gently.

"No, no, Sakura," he smirked. "Do you really think I'd trust you with so delicate an operation?"

"Well I thought you wanted me to come in to go through the whole lab?" she replied, face wrinkled in confusion.

"No, this is the lab finished. What it _should_ look like. And here's the data," he said, handing her an already-filled out lab report packet. She flipped through a few pages, before hesitantly responding.

"Um..all the answers are already filled out, too. Are you _sure_ you want me to have this?"

"Sakura, you the best student I've had in a very long time. Do you think I want to add more stress onto your already full schedule?"

"I mean, that's really kind of you, but-"

"I understand that Mr. Hatake works you all especially hard. I find it a tad ridiculous how little respect he has for his students," he said distastefully, as if discussing something like the fiscal cliff or the latest celebrity scandal.

"Well, we do learn a lot that way," Sakura smiled, trying to defend her father-like teacher. "He has our best intentions at heart."

"But your favorite _subject_ is Biology, right?" he asked quickly. She nodded.

"Of course it is, I want to be a doctor when I am older, after all."

"I can help you with that!' he assured. She gave him a skeptical look.

"You know our principle Tsunade, right?"

Nod.

"Do you know why she is only a part-time principle here?"

She nodded her head 'no.'

"She is actually a very respected surgeon at the hospital in downtown Konoha. She has published many articles and is very knowledgeable."

"What does that have to do with-"

"I can ask her to take you under her wing; I'm sure she'll love you. You are a very likeably student."

Sakura's eyes lit up. "Really!? You would do that!"

"Anything for my favorite student," he smiled softly, thankful for her excitement. "Understand that your grades in this class will have to be 99% or higher. Her expectations are high."

"Of course!"

"You'll probably have to come in a few times a week to get extra help. You're not worried about investing that much time?"

"As long as Mr. Gui agrees to let me escape from Gym," she laughed happily. She could nearly hug him at the moment!

"Thank you so so so so muc-"

_rrriiiingggg!_

"Oh, well, I gotta go so that my ride doesn't leave me," Sakura explained hurriedly, packing up her things. "Thank you so much for everything!"

As she ran out the door, Madara let out a wan smile.

"I'm pretty pathetic," he said to no one in particular.

* * *

"Neji, I need you to drop me off at Sasuke's house today. Do you know where that is?" Sakura asked, climbing into the car. He frowned.

"Yeah, I know where it is, but-"

"Don't worry. I just need to drop something off, that's all. I'll get Itachi to drive me home after that."

"..okay."

* * *

Mikoto had let her in immediately after knocking, (saying something about sweet girls being rare to find) so Sakura found herself at Sasuke's bedroom door.

Gulp.

She timidly knocked on his door, only to have it open right away to reveal a very tired and feverish Sasuke. His eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing here," he said quietly, eyes unfocused, yet cold.

"I brought your homework," she timidly answered. She couldn't help herself; as she responded, she stared at the room behind him, only to see a pile of various painkiller bottles on a table near the door. Her eyes widened in a mixture of shock and worry that she probably shouldn't have felt for him.

"How many of these have you taken?!" she asked harshly, losing all semblance of her earlier withdrawn nature. She pushed past him, but he ran over to throw them on the ground, away from her reach. Since his navy-sheeted bed was so close, some of them rolled underneath, completely out of sight.

"I feel like shit. Get out."

"No!" she firmly replied, walking over to him. "Let me see your pupils, I need to check to see if-"

She was slammed onto the bed before she could finish, pinned down by Sasuke with his lips enveloping her own. He was warm, soft, and felt nice, but those were the last things she wanted to associate with him. Her arms struggled against his hold frantically until he lifted his head away.

"Goddammit, Sakura," he growled. She was too in shock to say or do anything at the moment. "Do you have any idea how bad he is for you?"

"I-I have to go n-now," she gasped out, leaving the dropped pile of forgotten homework on his floor, all but sprinting out of the door once he released her.

Gritting his teeth, Sasuke fell back onto his bed, her sweet smell still lingering. His vision and mind were still foggy from the drugs, but he still was conscious enough to know how that had been both the worst and best moment of his life.

"Ah, fuck. I always mess things up with her."

* * *

Itachi had heard raised voices, and being worried for Sakura (he had seen her go in, but didn't want to seem creepy, so he kept away), bolted over to Sasuke's doorway.

The sight that greeted him stabbed right through him, seeing Sasuke and Sakura tangled with each other, lips locked tightly. He faintly registered Sakura's struggling, but what killed him was that her first kiss was forever gone, stolen by the very goddamn boy that had hurt her the most.

"_Do you have any idea how bad he is for you?"_

Rage bubbling through him, he dodged back into the hallway, hearing light footsteps behind him. He turned, only to have Sakura wrap her arms tightly around him in most intimate hold they had shared.

"What's wrong?" he asked, pretending to be oblivious to her obvious distress

"Can you drive me home, Itachi?" she whispered hoarsely into his chest. He could feel his shirt getting a little damp, but he knew that this wasn't the time for interrogation.

"Of course," he replied, and despite the situation, relished the soft warmth that bled onto him.

Itachi was not used to girls in his arms, but he could get used to this.

* * *

"Sakura! When you see him looking at you, you have to be _more_ than just surprised!" Mrs. Sarutobi yelled passionately, pregnancy-hormones swirling through her veins. "You need to have your breath stolen away! Like, that you cannot _fathom_ that this sweet-talking, city boy has found interest in you!"

Sakura nodded numbly, wearing an elaborate old-fashioned dress with her hair piled up in a time-period appropriate updo. Deidara, a few steps away, was in close-fitting trousers, a white button-up, and suspenders, his character's trademark smirk set firmly into place.

"I see what you mean, yeah," he said in faux understanding. "She has to be simply amazed that such a beautiful, handsome, desirable man would want such a humble librarian's company."

"EXACTLY!"

Sakura could feel a trickle of nervous sweat run down her cheek. Musicals make seem all fun and gays to most people, but in reality, this shit was pretty damn nerve-wracking. Stealing a glance to the empty audience (this was dress rehearsals, after all), she let out a sigh.

"You know what? I know what would help you," Kurenai giggled. (Sakura had gotten used to the mood-swings by now) "Let's add in another kiss."

Silence.

"A-ah..yeah..I don't know if Sakura would be comfortable with that," Deidara managed to squeak out, avoiding eye contact. Sakura, though blushing profusely, appreciated his concern.

They hadn't practiced the stage kisses at all. Never talked about it, never mentioned it. It was as if they were both avoiding the awkwardness sure to ensue. It wasn't that Deidara wasn't cute (oh trust her, he was _definitely_ cute), but there was something scary about locking lips with an upperclassmen that made the whole thing a pretty big deal, especially since the 700 people in the auditorium would be watching intently at every show.

"No, it's perfect," Kurenai sighed sweetly, hand clasped together. "She is distracted by her work, so when he goes up to greet her, he gets so tired of waiting that he just leans in quickly and PLATS ONE ON HER UNSUSPECTING LIPS!"

"I think she's enjoying this a little too much.." Sakura whispered to Deidara. He nodded, eyes wide.

"I saw the _49 Shades of Gray _trilogy sitting on her desk the other day. Maybe she's a little too hopped up on literary romance, yeah."

"What's _49 Shades of Gray_?" Sakura asked, giving him a weird look. "Is it like _Twilight _or something?"

Deidara paled. "yeah…Forget I mentioned it."

"You know I'm just going to google it later."

"Okay, then just know that the only reason I even know what they are is because Sasori is obsessed with them," Deidara sighed. "Probably the only male under the age of 40 that likes it, yeah."

"…so they're dirty?" Sakura asked carefully, wrinkling her nose in irritation.

"OKAY YOU TWO, Stop flirting so I can tell you what to do!"

The students working offstage snickered. Sakura and Deidara shook their heads and sighed in unison.

"Sakura, you're sitting at the desk." (she did so)

"Deidara, you're leaning over it." (he complied as well)

"she's writing something down….and then….BAM!"

They sat in silence.

"Of course, if you reeeally want, you can save that for the actual show. But remember, it's this weekend, kids. You gotta get ready for it eventually."

They both blushed and laughed nervously. "haha….yeah.."

Kurenai smirked to herself. _This is going to be one hell of a show._

"Okay! Enough of your slacking! Let's get moving to the next scene!"

As the teacher walked off to go yell at some backstage crewmember about curtains or something, Sakura cleared her throat, determined to get the awkward out of the way.

"Tomorrow night, huh?" she offered, starting conversation.

"Yeah."

"So, uh..yeah. Get ready for me, I guess. Heh heh," she stumbled out. (Probably could have tried to sound more normal)

She tried to assure herself that a kiss with Deidara would be the opposite of Sasuke's, and that she shouldn't feel nervous. Where Sasuke was dominating and rough, Deidara was sweet and gentle. Hopefully he would carry that over to something so simple as a kiss.

Ah, fuck. She was making way too big a deal of this. Girls like Ino have kissed dozens of boys, and even though Hinata would never admit it, her and Naruto have locked lips more times than they can count. However, Sakura had just lost her lip virginity yesterday, and now she had to go at it again in another 24 hours.

"Itachi _did_ tell me to be gentle, though," Deidara added comfortingly. "Didn't say why, exactly, but he seemed really adamant about that."

Oh. Were Itachi and Deidara friends?

Wait. Hold up.

Itachi didn't know about Sasuke yesterday, did he? She never told him…Maybe she was just overcomplicating things?

She tried to focus on something else, but the only thing in her vision was shaggy blonde hair and pale blue eyes.

"You know, you have really pretty eyes for a boy," she thought aloud. (Oops. Didn't mean to say that to his face) Deidara looked at her weird.

"Um..you too?" he replied, unsure of how to respond to that. Was that a compliment? "Except, for a girl. You know. Yeah."

"Thanks," she said.

Silence.

"You know, a few people in the cast are going to go out to eat after opening night. Theater tradition, yeah. Want to come with?" he asked quickly.

"Yeah, that sounds great," Sakura smiled.

Kurenai's yelling broke through the air, startling them both, and cueing the scene to commence once more.

"This is going to be one hell of a show," Deidara grinned. Sakura couldn't help but agree.

* * *

**So since the show is basically in Winter Break (the weekend going into it), it will be included in that chapter. Which is coming next. Which will hopefully be up by tomorrow. (Thank you Martin Luther King, for being great and awesome and for getting us a day off of school to appreciate you.)**

**Gotta go watch 'Game of Thrones' episode 3 now. Is it weird I kinda have a crush on the creepy white-haired brother of the one pretty chick? (I mean, I'm also obsessed with her, but idk why I find her brother so attractive. He reminds me of Loki. Oh my.) But I hear he dies later.**

**Then I'll just move on to the bitchy queen's hot brother. Even is he **_**does**_** have a nasty relationship with her. (That made me feel very uncomfortable.)**

**OKAY I WROTE TOO MUCH HERE. YOU CAN LEAVE NOW. PLEASE REVIEW ON YOUR WAY OUT.**


	7. Christmas Break: Freshman

**This is a product of me watching Pirates of the Caribbean, drinking a 2 liter of Diet Coke, and sitting on the computer all day. **

**satmcbybga3y,xgybaf4rmxkjaa,**

**Just read, I guess. Hope you like ittt.**

* * *

_**Contact: My beautiful darling daughter**_

_**Option: Send Message**_

_Row C seat 17, baby. You better smile towards us!_

_Us? Who else did you bring? (btw mom, the show's going to start soon)_

_Auntie Mei! She saw my bacefook status about you in the show, and she wanted to come see! So she's also going to be joining us for Christmas, isn't that great?_

_Ugh whatever. Show's almost starting._

_YOU BETTER DO GREAT OR I'LL DISOWN YOU_

_I love you too …_

* * *

The show had already started a few scenes ago, but that did nothing to ease the bundle of nerves in Sakura's stomach. Since she didn't go on for a while, she was destined to sit backstage until it was her turn. Her plaited hair and soft stage makeup made her look far more put together than she felt at that moment. As she sat on a chair and waited, she fingered the hem of the costume she wore to be Marian "the librarian." She had a prim button-up blouse that was tucked into a long grey skirt that started at her waist, and had an old-fashioned half-apron that was cinched around her waist so tightly that her breathing was a bit hindered. The only thing about her costume that she liked was that everyone else was pretty much dressed the same.

Except for that bastard, Deidara. _He _gets to prance around in a close-fitting suit that looked like it was made for him and didn't hinder him when he executed each dance perfectly and fit his rear quite appetizingly and…

…uh yeah.

Well anyways, she sat backstage with nothing to do until she heard the last lines of _You Got Trouble! _ring through air. She listened to Deidara's singing with a faint smile on her lips, and since she was sitting mostly by herself, she must've looked pretty weird.

"Sakura!"

She looked up to see Tenten (playing a soft-spoken Mrs. Paroo) fast-walking over to her, trying not to trip over the thick skirts she had as part of her costume.

"Tenten!" Sakura whispered sharply "We're about to start! I thought you died or something!"

"Don't worry, I'm here," the brunette grinned wolfishly, as if she knew something Sakura didn't.

"What?"

"I said _I'm here_~" TenTen teased.

"No,..why are you smiling like that?" Sakura frowned. "Seriously. Tell me."

"Well, you sure sound bitter for a girl who just got agiant bouquet of_ motherfucking roses_ backstage!"

Sakura stilled. "What? Where? W-who?"

Suddenly Deidara's voice picked up again. _Remember my friends! Listen to me because I've passed this way but once!_

Tenten's smile only widened. "Oh, would you look at that. That's our cue to go! We better get through this show quickly so we can make our way to Act two song eight!"

"What's th-"

oh.

That's when they kiss.

And with that, Tenten pulled her onstage.

* * *

"You did so well~!" the brunette cooed, patting Sakura's cheeks with the stereotypical excitement of a theater kid. However, the strawberry-blonde girl was far too focused on calming her erratic heartbeat to utter anything but a hoarse "th-thank you."

TenTen continued. "And~~"

Dramatic pause.

"….what."

"You definitely need to check out those roses."

Sakura sighed, too tired to protest. After all, she kept a bottle 5.5 hour energy in her makeup-kit anyways, so she might as well go over there.

The tables in front of the mirrors were relatively empty, so the delicately-placed, pale-pink roses stood out wonderfully, catching her attention immediately. There was a tag attached, so she eagarly picked it up.

_To the lovely Ophelia-_

_Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt_

_You'll do well onstage._

Her nose scrunched in confusion_. _Although she hadn't picked up her well-annotated book of Hamlet in about a month, she could have sworn the last line continued on.

What would rhyme with move?

Then, the more important question. Who sent it? It couldn't have been Deidara, since it'd be weird to do that with them both in the show, and she highly doubted it was Shizune or Aunt Mei….

Oh! Speaking of that, she remembered seeing their faces in the audience, in the third row, Shizune in a dark purple top with her eyes glistening, and Mei in her typical business suit and hair pulled back into a no-nonsense bun.

She hadn't seen Mei in forever, even though she was technically her only relative. You would think that would mean that she would be her gaurdian, but she was so busy being the CEO of one of the top business in America that she couldn't devote the time. But Sakura understood the circumstances, so she couldn't blame her Aunt. After all, Shizune was the perfect mom, and she and Mei practically acted like sisters anyways.

Even though she could be a violent feminist and a bit crazy at times, having Mei over for Christmas would be a nice change, instead of spending the holidays with just Shizune and a whole lot of chocolate.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a stage crewmember shouting that the show was starting again, causing her to smooth her dress out with a sigh and head back on stage to face the rest of it.

* * *

They stood on the fake bridge over the fake river carefully, only a few feet apart. Trying not to let on that she was superfuckingnervous, Sakura flashed a coy smile, greeting "Harold Hill" with a coy smile and a slight bow. Deidara seemed unaffected by the sweltering spotlights, but then again, he wasn't wearing a wool skirt. She tried not to look him exactly in the eye, because she was afraid she'd get even more nervous and choke and die or something.

She heard the orchestra swell, and it was now or never.

(At least her breath didn't smell.)

"There were bells on the hill, but I never heard them ringing," she assured gently, looking wistfully to the side, as if remembering a sweet fantasy. "No, I never heard them at all 'till there was you…"

She took a slow step closer as he stood perfectly still, looking at her with eyes that made her insides flutter. Even though the whole point of a musical was to entertain the audience, somehow she felt like it was just them, like the time he drove her home from school and they belted out showtunes giddily. "There were birds in the sky, but I never saw them winging. No, I never saw them at all 'till there was you."

She tried to picture her friends' faces at this moment,, and she vaguely wondered if Ino ended up coming. The blonde was a big fan of her and Deidara, and had been so excited when she saw the cast list…but after their recent falling-out, Sakura doubted she would get any sort of congratulations. "And there was music, and there were wonderful roses," she continued, now placing her hand on his arm bashfully. "They tell me, in sweet fragrant meadows of dawn, and dew…."

(and now, time for the high note that she hopedtogod she would hit.)

Deidara's voice joined hers in a sweet duet, easing her nerves a bit. That way, if she messed up horribly, everyone would be to busy listening to him to notice.

"There was love all around, but I never heard it singing—No, I never heard it at all. Till there was you"

(Nailed it)

At that point, she was so high off of adrenaline and excitement, she nearly forgot what to do after. But Deidara stayed true to his character, leaning over gently and looking at her with blue eyes and a sincere expression before connecting their lips in the sweetest way possible.

She gasped a little at the electricity-like shock that ran down her spine, effectively parting her lips a little and making them fit together perfectly. She faintly registered his hand on the small of her back, and hers on his shoulder, but her head was swimming and her awareness thick and foggy.

"YEEEEAH! GET SOME, SAKURA!" (Shit, that was Aunt Mei.)

Oh yeah, they were on stage. She almost forgot that people were watching.

And clapping furiously.

And then, the lights faded away to end the scene (the signal to pull away from each other), but they lingered for a few seconds more, slowly parting, but hands still firmly on each other.

She blinked a few times, and then her cheeks flooded with color, thankful that the lighting was dim so no one could see.

"Heh, the audience loved you," Deidara smiled, pulling her offstage so the next scene could start.

"Yeah, sure. They were clapping for _you_," she assured, her lips still tingling.

"Okay, we'll see who gets the most claps," he chuckled while walking away, before turning back to look at her again. "And spoiler alert: it will be you"

She broke into a small smile, watching him leave her, and knowing they had to get ready for the next time they went on, and getting to the end of this two-hour long, nerve-wracking performance, awaiting the claps and cheers from friends and family.

Spoiler alert: it _was_ her

* * *

After the show, the entire cast (which was only about 20 people…but that's still a lot.) flooded the local diner, feasting on late-night burgers and sodas and all sorts of greasy, gorgeous food. Much to her chagrin, Sakura sat a few chairs away from Deidara, but at least she had Tenten gossiping with her in the corner.

"So, I totally saw you talking to _Itachi Uchiha _after the show," she started, raising her eyebrows. Somehow. Sakura had a feeling this would turn into an interrogation about her love life. "How do you know him?"

"He's in a few of my classes. We know each other pretty well."

"So 'pretty well' means you guys hug like that all the time?"

"Y-you saw that?"

"Hun, I see _everything_."

"...like what?"

"Spill. Who do you like?"

"W-what!?" Sakura stammered, glancing away to see if anyone was listening. (There wan't)

"Is it Deidara?" Tenten asked hopefully. "You guys would be so cute!"

Sakura blushed, looking down.

"Or is it Itachi?" The blush intensified.

"Or someone else?"

"Tenten! I've never even had a boyfriend before!"

Tenten gasped loudly, causing a few people to glance over in curiosity_. _

"WHAT!?"

"Geez…be a little quieter. You're freaking people out…" Sakura grumbled.

"_Never had a boyfriend?_ I started dating in middle school!"

"I went to an all-girls school," Sakura explained. "The only guy I talked to was Naruto."

Expectant stare.

"—and he's dating Hinata."

Tenten sighed. "Well then it is my personal mission to get you lai—I mean get you a man."

"How did you start dating Lee?" Sakura asked curiously.

"I had to ask him out," Tenten sighed sweetly. "The boy's so clueless, I had to practically spell it out to him."

"He seems smart, though!"

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Yeah right, the only thing he knows about is current events and environmental stuff. He's obsessed with being green. It's pretty cute, to be honest. He takes me to protest parades sometimes."

"Protest parades?"

"Like, marching for paraben-free products or petitioning to put recycle bins in the local parks."

"That sounds…"

"…weird? It's okay if you think so, but it's pretty fun, actually," Tenten smiled. "It's nice to make a difference in the world."

Pause.

"What do you want to be when you grow up, Sakura?"

"A doctor. Don't know what kind yet, but I want to work with medicine," Sakura assured.

"Ooh, that's definitely the opposite of Deidara's art obsession," she chimed in remorsefully. "But I think he'd be okay with it. Maybe a bit disappointed you won't be using that singing voice in the future."

"I like to dance! That's musical-y!"

"Oh yeah! I forgot! You're on the varsity poms, right? You perform at Basketball events where our team pla- oh wait! Itachi plays at those!"

"Yeah…he's on the team.."

"How do you guys get along?"

Blush. Swallow. Blink.

"Okay, I guess."

Tenten gave her a knowing look. "I think I know the answer to my first question now."

"Wait, what first question?"

* * *

"SAKURA WAKE UP! IT'S CHRISTMAS!"

The girl groaned, tossing around in her cozy bed and trying to drown out the sounds of Shizune calling her downstairs to open presents. She had already made Sakura stay up late watching "Rudolph the red nosed reindeer" for the third time this week (and she was _still_ full from all the peppermint cookies), and all the teen wanted to do now was sleep.

"nghhh…."

"SANTA CAME TO OUR HOUSE LAST NIGHT!"

"shutttup."

"HE BROUGHT PRESENTS"

"noooooo…"

"SAKURA GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE."

(ouch, that one was Mei)

"Okay! I'm coming!" Sakura yelled back, suddenly quite awake. She didn't bother changing out of her pajamas, which really just consisted of a tshirt from a pom competition and baggy black sweatpants, because it wasn't like she was dressing up for anyone today. That was the best thing about Winter break: you really weren't required to get out of the house more than a few times.

Stretching her arms carefully as she went down the stairs, the sharp smell of coffee reached her nose, as well as the sound of eggs cooking.

_Perfect._

Though it sounded crazy, she was kind of tired of all the sweets, since she had been really overdoing it the past few days. If it wasn't for the hours she spent on the treadmill, she probably would have gained three pounds.

Or five.

Or twenty.

(you have _no idea_ how many cookies she's eaten)

Mei's face came into view, since she was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a big cup of steaming black coffee. (Which was probably her third. The woman loved that stuff.) Shizune was at the stove, cooking up a large pan of eggs for everyone, and there was a slice of toast for each of them laying on the table.

"Good morning, hun," Mei greeted, looking at her niece with a soft smile. She was already dressed, though today she just wore a sweater with jeggings underneath. Her hair was free of its usual bun, letting rich auburn hair flow past her shoulders. She really was beautiful, especially for a women in her late thirties.

And Shizune looked almost Sakura's age with her pink flannel pajamas, cheeks flushed from the heat of the stove. She proudly placed a giant plate heaped with scrambled eggs, gesturing for all of them to take some. (There is seriously nothing better than scrambled eggs on top of a piece of toast)

"After this we open presents," Shizune grinned. "I must warn you, Santa's been quite generous this year, especially to a certain daughter who maintained straight A's while excelling in her extracurriculars."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I'll make sure to thank Santa later."

They finished quickly, and eventually made their way to the living room, right next to a small (but adorable) Christmas tree they had set up last week, the ornaments shiny and distinct.

Sakura spotted an envelope first with her name printed on it. She grabbed it gently and stared at it. "Who sent me this?"

"Me," Mei smiled impishly.

Ooh, that made Sakura a bit nervous.

She opened it, only to find a gift certificate for…

"I got you self-defense lessons so you can beat up any guy who touches you without your permission," Mei grinned, obviously very proud of her present. Sakura sighed, but actually thought the idea sounded pretty cool.

"But Mei! How is she going to get married if she scares all the boys away? She'll be single forever!" Shizune exclaimed almost comically.

"Is there something _wrong_ about not getting married?" she seethed, teeth gritted. The subject of marriage and relationships was dangerous territory with Aunt Mei.

Sakura decided it was time to change the subject. "OH-KAY let's open presents now!" she chimed in happily, and seeing their cat, Ton-ton walking over to them, pulled him to her lap to hold for the rest of the time.

Shizune sighed. "That poor thing is getting so fat, it's practically a pig."

Sakura pouted.

"Don't talk to him like that."

Ton-ton let out a grunt-like purr. Sakura smiled, and petted him lovingly.

"So…presents, huh?"

* * *

Santa _had_ been generous that year, in the form of a brand-new, 12-inch screen, retina image laptop, making Sakura squeal with happiness for a minimum of two minutes.

She spent the next few days exploring every facet and every application, joyously typing up a storm as she talked to people on Bacefookor Tumbler. It was that way that she got invited by Hinata to spend New Year's at her house, since both of them preferred to stay away from crowded parties where everyone got wasted just to watch the year end.

And now they sat, giggling as they watched wonderfully superficial tv program where the host sassily counted down the New Year by chronologically going over all the celebrity gossip and internet trends of the past 364 days.

"It's weird to think that we're almost done with Freshman year," Sakura suddenly said, talking over the tv. Hinata nodded.

"Yeah, if this is how fast High School goes by, we'll be in college before we realize it," she agreed.

"Don't worry, you two still have a while to go," a new voice chimed in, which Sakura immediately recognized as Neji. She turned around, only to see him in a plain white t-shirt and dark blue pajama pants. It was reeeeally weird to see _him_ in regular clothes, since she had just assumed he was professional and mature 100% of the time. (Maybe even sleeping in a suit and tie)

She was too busy mentally giggling at the thought of Neji sleeping in a suit to even realize the countdown had started. The person on the tv spoke cheerfully, bouncing up and down in excitement.

10….

9….(Now viewers, grab the person you're going to kiss!)

8….

Sakura froze, stealing a glance at Neji, who just so happened to be looking at the same time.

7….

"I need to pee!" Hinata quickly exclaimed. "Like right now so I guess I'll begoingthenbye!"

6….

That left only Neji and Sakura in the room, feeling awkward and not knowing what to do.

5….

"Cheek?" he offered.

4….

"What?" Sakura asked confusedly.

3….

"You know."

"No, what?"

2…

"Kiss on the—oh hell, just come here," he muttered before pulling close and definitely invading her personal bubble.

1…

Not that she minded.

Zeeeero~! (Happy New Year, bitches!)

His lips barely grazed her cheek, but they were soft and soothing, the warmth of his body making her want to lean in more. But he quickly got up, removing his good-smelling, comfortable self from her reach.

"Happy New Year, Sakura," he smiled faintly before leaving the room.

Almost immediately, Hinata strolled back in, an obnoxiously oblivious look on her pretty face.

"Oh, did I miss something?"

If Sakura didn't know Hinata better, she could have sworn that she was setting her up.

* * *

**This was kind of short, but fun at the same time. The next chapter will be up sometime this three-day weekend, so don't get your panties in a bunch waiting for an update. (not like anyone cares that much, but w/e)**

**1. So who **_**was**_** the mystery man that gave Sakura roses?**

**2. Why doesn't Sakura have parents?**

**3. What did Itachi think of Sakura's performance in the musical?**

**4. Why is Mei so goddamn cool?**

**5. Why am I writing these questions at the end?**


	8. January: Freshman

**Sorry updates have been so sketchy; I finished up tech/show week for my school's musical so now my schedule is beautifully free.**

**Now let's get down to business.**

* * *

**_Contact: Sakura_**

**_Option: Send Message_**

_You did a wonderful job in the musical. Was it enjoyable?_

_Thanks, Itachi! Yeah, it was fun..but really stressful. I was definitely sacrificing sleep for homework. _

_Don't you still have A+'s in every class?_

_Well..yeah…but I need to make sure it stays that way!_

_You could always try enjoying your free time._

_Why, are you offering? (:_

_After basketball season, I'd be more than happy._

* * *

Since Konoha Academy had progressed through the area's basketball league so quickly, they only had one more game in January before their undefeated season was finished. And the best part about this game was that at least three local sports television channels had shown up to film the game live. The Poms team was thrilled; it meant more publicity and just one more thing they had over their rival school: Sound Academy.

Sound was not known for their stellar academics or kind-mannered students, but for more of the opposite. They had the most disciplinary problems and lowest standardized test scores in the entire state, so their funding had gone way down, only making their students more frustrated. For the past few years, Konoha has won every game against them, but that sure as hell didn't mean it was easy. They played violently and erratically, and were definitely not above playing dirty.

Sakura, dressed in the dark green and white cheerleader-like uniform of the Pom squad, looked at the crowds in the stands nervously, eyes focusing on the rowdy Sound kids whooping and hollering towards the court (where the teams were warming up) even before the game had started. Sound's star player, a thickly muscled Zaku Abumi, was rumored to do endless amounts of steroids, but had never been caught. Their next best player was a silently menacing Dosu Kinata, practically glaring down every member of Konoha's starting players from his impressive stance.

In most of these games, Konoha's worst weakness was height.

Shisui and Itachi Uchiha were the star players, and though their genes provided excellent athletic ability and form, their height was pretty average compared to some of the Sound players standing around 6 feet tall. That was why Sakura's heart was beating faster than normal and her cheeks flushed with a strong mix of nerves and anticipation.

The only good thing about the game was that since Sasuke wasn't on the starting Varsity team, he sat on the bench far from where she stood, making it very easy to avoid contact. (Though their eyes met a few times, much to her chagrin)

However, she didn't have more time to dwell on it, because the buzzer sounded and the teams lined up to start. She held her breath as the boys stared each other down, not ignoring the smirk that Zaku sent Itachi before they leapt into motion.

Now, if there was anything Sakura had learned about High School sports her freshman year, it was that people took them way more seriously than was probably healthy. Football usually got all the glory, but when it came to intensity (and sweat), basketball reigned supreme. Without helmets or bulky uniforms, the determined expressions and glistening muscles were on full display, and the intricate dance between players was both powerful and hypnotizing. Every player had their different style, yet still managed to work together in teams.

She also couldn't ignore that most of the appeal (for her) was watching guys in their physical prime attack the ball and sprint across the gym floor. All the Pom routines were simple during the game, so her full attention could be on the game. And even though she tried to watch the _entire _thing, her attention kept flitting over to a familiar head of shaggy black hair.

Itachi always moved like a panther on the hunt, every motion sleek and connected. He could be a dancer if he wanted; he glided around his slower opponents. But Sound's team was bulky and powerful in contrast, making an interesting juxtaposition on the court.

By halftime, the score was firmly tied at 20-20, with neither team's resolve wavering. Since everyone was milling about, Sakura used that opportunity to run over to Itachi and Shisui, who were ferociously gulping down water on one of the side benches.

"You guys are doing great so far," she grinned, hoping to instill them with enough confidence to play harder the second half. Shisui shot her a tired smirk, but Itachi merely nodded in recognition, eyes focused on his water bottle in a meditative-like trance.

"You checking me out, huh, Sakura?" the bolder of the two remarked, looking over her spandex-clad body. She frowned slightly.

"Obviously, Shisui. You're the only one I have eyes for these days," she sarcastically replied, secretly enjoying the way he lit up. (Hey, attractive boy attention is always appreciated) That seemed to break Itachi's concentration, because he gave his cousin a disapproving glance accompanied by an eye-roll. However, his attention was then brought to somewhere behind where Sakura was standing, and his expression darkened considerably.

"You shouldn't be over here," a familiar voice scolded, in a tone that was neither completely serious nor joking, but still bitter.

She nearly choked on her breath, because she _definitely _recognized that voice.

"S-Sasuke?" she stammered out awkwardly, turning to face him. Since it was obvious that he wouldn't be playing in the game, he had changed into his street clothes, and he didn't look too happy about that.

"You can't be distracting our 'star players,' now can you?" he added, giving his brother a scathing look.

"Go back to the stands, Sasuke," Itachi said in his quietly authoritative voice, though it seemed to have little effect.

"What, I can't talk to Sakura?"

"Dude, don't be a dick," Shisui groaned to Sasuke, (vainly) trying to stop the tension.

Sakura just sat there mutely, watching them interact with a self-conscious frown on her face. She wasn't sure what Sasuke's problem was recently, but apparently she wasn't the only one he had lashed out at. Naruto had complained more than a few times (and he was his best friend for god's sake), and Itachi wouldn't even mention it. But as much as she would like to think that she didn't care what he thought, she was an insecure teenage girl so she couldn't help it.

"Leave," Itachi growled. Halftime was almost over, but that didn't seem to make Sasuke move any faster.

Silence.

"Just leave, Sasuke," Sakura managed to get out, not making eye contact.

"Also, these benches are for the Varsity team only," Shisui added cheekily. And with a child-like glare, the younger Uchiha stamped off, muttering some obscenity under his breath that no one picked up.

* * *

Needless to say, the rest of the game went pretty damn well, with Konoha barely winning by one free throw. (Courtesy of one ecstatic Shisui Uchiha)

The other team glared and booed, but in the moment of victory, not a single Konoha student gave a shit, relishing in the fact that they beat out their rivals and would be receiving a gaudy tournament trophy for their victory.

After all, they were done dealing with Sound High School...right?

* * *

The next day at school, rumors were flying, but not quite about Konoha's victory.

"Did you hear that Itachi's brother quit the Basketball team?" Deidara said to Sasori, his voice carrying over to where Sakura was sitting in Art class, a few rows behind.

"Yeah, didn't he join the wrestling team instead?" Sasori asked.

"I think so," Deidara shuddered. "You couldn't _pay_ me to join wrestling, Orochimaru is creepy enough, having him as a coach would be terrifying."

Sakura looked to her right to see if Naruto had heard as well, but he seemed oblivious, completely immersed in his drawing of a toad.

"Naruto?" she whispered, trying to get his attention.

"_Naruto_."

"Naruto!"

He finally realized she called him, and sat up straight. "Um, yeah?"

"Did Sasuke quite basketball?" she asked carefully. His face fell.

"I heard that he did," he said sadly.

"I thought he was doing really well for a freshman?"

"I really don't know," Naruto sighed, uncharacteristically depressed. "He doesn't talk to me anymore. He hangs out with these real sketchy kids now and stopped doing homework for most of his classes."

At this point, Sakura was a little unsure how she was to react. Now, instead of thinking Sasuke had a personal vendetta against her, she got the feeling that he had been acting that way to _everybody_, not just the girl he had only met in September.

"Should I talk to him?" she wondered a loud, not seeing the way Naruto froze up.

"I wouldn't if I were you, Sakura, after you got close with Itachi, Sasuke really freaked out," he warned.

"I'm going to anyways. Someone has to," she huffed in conclusion, only for Naruto to sigh in defeat.

"Whatever, Sakura, but you might not like what he has to say…"

* * *

Sasuke looked awfully surprised when Sakura showed up at his locker after school, but that's probably because she had been viciously ignoring him for the past month and a half.

"Hey Sasuke," she called out empathetically. "How've you been?"

He started to smile, but stopped himself.

"Why are you here?"

Sakura faked a laugh to ease her nervousness. "I just asked how you were doing, geez.."

"I don't need to report to you."

"Okay, I'm going to be blunt now, I guess," she sighed. "Why did you quit basketball?"

"I have more important things to do with my time," he explained hurriedly.

"Like wrestling? With the creepiest teacher in the whole school as the coach?" Sakura frowned. "Sasuke, you had to have heard the rumors about him.."

"Well what should I have done?" he suddenly snapped, though his anger seemed directed more at himself. "Stay on a sport where my fucking old brother stole all the attention? I was _asked_ to join wrestling. They wanted _me_. The basketball team is just full of assholes that wouldn't let me on the varisty team because they were too obsessed with Itachi and Shisui to even notice me."

"That's not true, Sasuke!" she pleaded. "You were the one of the only Freshman on the JV team! Mr. Hatake even told me once that he was waiting for the day _you_ would be the MVP! People notice you, Sasuke, even if you think they don't."

Silence.

"And people_ care_ about you, even if you think they don't."

"Yeah right. Again, they'd rather care about Itachi. Even Naruto likes him more than me,  
he chuckled sardonically. "My best friend from middle school thinks my older brother is nicer."

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself if all you're going to do is be rude to people," she shot back. "You _still_ haven't told me the real reason you don't talk to me anymore."

"Well, Maybe that's because I was too goddamn drunk to remember!" he half-shouted. At this point, she was glad the halls were empty, because otherwise this would draw quite the crowd. But his words made her freeze.

"D-drunk?" she stammered. "Since when do you—"

"We're different people now, Sakura," he sighed out, taking a breath to calm himself. "You can't possibly understand what I'm going through. You don't even _have _siblings, and I bet _your_ parents aren't as fucked up as mine."

She went silent. Perhaps it was better not to tell him that her only parent was Shizune.

"Sasuke….just go back to the Basketball team. You're just spiting yourself at this point," she said softly, trying to get back to the original point of the conversation.

"No, Itachi can have that for himself," he growled. "I've decided that this year I will never walk in his shadow. Ever. Again."

_Why do things always go back to Itachi?_

"Please reconsider," was all she could get out before she walked away as quickly as she could without looking like she was sprinting away. (which she so desperately wanted to do)

She would have felt better about the conversation if Sasuke had been completely apathetic, but instead, she saw a glimpse of the insecure boy in the inside. She had seen things through his perspective for the briefest of moments, and how horrible it must be to constantly be compared to someone else who you would never live up to. It must have only rubbed salt in the wound that she had abandoned him in favor for Itachi. (But she had a reasoning for that! He had been the asshole first, just—fuck….the whole situation was just shitty) She hated herself for not seeing this insecurity earlier, and she hated herself for assuming things before.

But most of all, she hated herself for still wanting to help him.

Later that night, she sent a text.

_Naruto, I don't know what you have to do, but please try to save Sasuke...for both of us._

* * *

It was only natural that Sakura's weekend would require a sleepover with her best friend (who was officially Hinata since Ino was still completely avoiding them both) since the week had been unreasonably stressful. After all, Hinata and her cousin both emulated a very relaxing aura, maybe having to do with their meditative personalities. Nevertheless, Sakura spent the first hour of their time together ranting about Sasuke, with Hinata listening quietly on her living room couch.

"I think it would be healthier for you if you just avoided him," she concluded meekly, trying not to offend Sakura, who seemed to be assuming responsibility in the whole situation. "It won't affect you if you ignore it. Now that he quit basketball, you'd only see him in the hallways at school."

Sakura sighed. "True, true….but I feel guilty. I connected with him so well in the beginning of the year that if I ignored his issues, I feel like I'd be abandoning him."

Silence.

"He needs help! All of his new friends won't give him any, but Naruto and I still can!"

"Until you asked him to get involved again, Naruto had pretty much given up," Hinata added. "And Naruto is the most optimistic person I know."

Sakura sighed. "But it'd be too easy just to ignore it. It's not right. What if he is _really_ depressed? What if he is _suicidal_ or—"

"Is this a bad time to interrupt?"

They turned their heads to see Neji standing in the doorway, like he had at the last sleepover. (Passively, Sakura remembered the feel of his "New Year's Kiss" and blushed a bit)

"No, perfect timing," Hinata muttered. And even though, Sakura rolled her eyes sarcastically, she welcomed a change of conversation.

"Sakura, you have 6th hour lunch, right? And Hinata has 5th?"

They nodded, and he sighed in relief.

"Good, because student council is doing a Valentine's Day fundraiser the first week of February, and…well, do you think you guys could help?"

"Depends," Sakura mused. "Exactly what am I giving up my lunch period for?"

"We're setting up a booth that students can pay a dollar to send a rose to someone else in the school on Valentine's Day," he explained. "Not my idea, but we did it last year too and it raised a lot of money."

"Who's going to be at the booth for 7th hour lunch?" Hinata asked.

"TenTen volunteered, thank god. Can you imagine having someone like Deidara run that?"

"I guess Deidara's on student council," Sakura whispered to Hinata.

"Okay, I'll do it," Sakura said proudly.

"Thank you so mu—"

"Only because then I get to see who sends flowers to who," she grinned impishly, and Hinata giggled lightly.

"Well then no one can send flowers to _you_, because you'd know right away!" Hinata teased, not seeing how Neji's confident smile faltered.

"No, someone in another lunch hour could order one for her," he said a little quietly before deciding he had interrupted their previous conversation for long enough, and leaving.

"Again, thank you," he finished as he left. "Feel free to go back to whatever you were talking about before."

Sakura shot Hinata a look.

"Actually, I think I'd rather watch a movie now," she giggled. "Something scary. With lots of blood."

"Sounds like you're in a better mood now," Hinata concluded. "Should I make the popcorn?"

"_Hell yes_."

* * *

It felt like it had been forever since Mr. Uchiha offered to set up an interview with Tsunade, but apparently he hadn't forgotten, because he informed her in class (on a freaking _Monday_) that Tsunade would be talking to her during her lunch hour. She was to report to the front office with her letter of recommendation from him (which she didn't even know he wrote) and to "be on her best behavior, as usual."

For some reason, he said that part with a wink that made her unsure on whether he was serious or not. (But he tended to do that a lot)

Even though it was very sudden and she didn't have that much time to mentally prepare, Sakura was glad she was getting it over with, because otherwise she would have stressed out about it for days. And this way, since it was during school, she didn't have to worry about finding an interview outfit. (It's always really difficult to determine what teenagers should wear in those situations. It's not like she owned a business suit...)

So when 6th hour came, she strode into the front office with a straight back and a (trying to be) confident smile, awaiting her fate. Mr. Uchiha failed to mention how likely it would be that she would actually get the internship, so she didn't exactly know what to expect.

The receptionist smiled at her warmly, easing some of the nervous flutters in her empty stomach. (She sure as hell wasn't going to eat with an anxious stomach.)

"Are you Sakura Haruno?"

"Yes," Sakura affirmed, clutching the folder with her recommendation and grades tightly.

"Well then go right in, sweetie," she said, gesturing to a door near the back. Sakura nodded.

"Thanks!"

Once she strode up to it, she knocked gently.

_"Come in!"_

(she did)

She walked in to see their buxom principle sitting at her desk, sipping something from a cloudy glass while staring out the window.

"The weather's still kinda shitty, huh?" she mused aloud, which really startled Sakura. Did she just—

"Oh, oops, sorry for swearing," Tsunade apologized sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "Some habits are hard to break, even at work."

"It's okay?" Sakura awkwardly responded.

"Take a seat, mmkay?"

So Sakura sat onto the plush leather chair in front of the desk, slightly sinking into the comfortable fabric.

"So you're Sakura Haruno, star of Madara Uchiha's AP Biology class~"

"Uh, yes. That's me," she chuckled nervously.

"One of two freshmen, am I correct?"

"Yes, me and Gaara Sabaku."

"Do you know why Mr. Uchiha recommended you for this?" she asked, now getting into a more serious interview mode.

"He knew from the beginning of the year that I was interested in a career in medicine, and I've maintained a steady A+, even with my extracurriculars," she explained coolly.

"Good, good. Now, I understand you also excel in math, correct?"

"Yes, I've always done well."

"How are you in English and other studies?"

"I have to work at English and History a bit harder because the material doesn't come as easily, but I have no issues memorizing French vocabulary."

"Yeah, I understand about History. Orochimaru can be a real shitty teacher sometimes," she laughed, making Sakura feel awkward again. Is wasn't as if she was allowed to criticize her own teachers…

"I put a lot of effort into school," Sakura concluded. "It's very important to prepare myself for my future."

Hell yeah. Well said, Sakura-sweetie.

"Well said," Tsunade replied, making Sakura feel as if she had just read her mind. _But if she could _really _read my mind, then she'd know that I find her boobs really distracting when she props them up on the desk. _"Do you have your letter and grades?"

"Yes, here you go," Sakura smiled, handing her the very professional-looking folder she had put them in. "And thank you in advance for your consideration."

Tsunade sighed in amazement.

"I think I've heard all I need to. You basically already have the position, I'll just need to send in all the paperwork and official documents to sign you up. I'll email you about a schedule."

"Really?" Sakura grinned, half-squealing and semi-drunk on the sudden rush of happiness that swept through her. "Oh my god! Thank you so much!"

"No problem, kid," Tsunade smirked. "Just know that you're allowed to be casual with me. You can swear if you want."

"Thankyousofuckingmuch?" Sakura breathed out quickly, not completely sure she could say the f-word and get away with it.

But she did.

"Perfect!" Tsunade concluded. "You can go to the rest of your lunch period now. A girl's gotta eat, right?"

"Yes, thank you!"

However, just as she was about to exit, Tsunade made sure to add: "Keep it up, kid. I can see a good future for you."

* * *

**This was so shooooooort. I'm sorrrrry. I have so much planned for the next chapters though so it's okay. And I will actually be updating like a normal person, now that I have free time again.**

**Speaking of updates, my other fic "Battlefield of the Mind" will get a new chapter soon (tomorrow), so you could always check ****_that_**** out. (;**


	9. February: Freshman

**Sorry this is so short. I just promised myself I'd get something updated today, and March is more fun anywayz. (;**

**Also, I understand that some of you don't give a shit about outfit details (which is why I try not to linger on those descriptions), but for those that do, by next week I'll have a page on my tumblr (iamanoxymoron) with links to some of the clothing that appears. **

* * *

**_Contact: Shizune_**

**_Option: Send Message_**

_OMG MOM I THINK I GOT THE INTERNSHIP_

_Aww, sweetie! That's so great! When do you start? What was Tsunade like? Did you thank your teacher? You better have!_

_I'll have to write him a thank you note or something…because this is seriously the best thing to ever happen to me._

_You mean besides your 11__th__ birthday when Naruto tried to kiss you but fell into the cake instead?_

_..Okay, this is the second best thing. _

_I'm thinking some celebration pizza is in order?_

_YES. HELL. YES. I CAN'T WAIT TO GET HOME._

* * *

"Sakura," Sasori grumbled as they walked to English class together. "You need to stop smiling to yourself. You look creepy."

"Yeah, creepy like those horror movies Sasori loves with the dolls that come to life and stuff," Deidara butted in, making his auburn-haired friend shoot him a cold glare.

"You obviously fail to see that those movies are _masterpieces_."

"Maybe if they added a few more special-effects or explosions, I'd change my mind, yeah," Deidara snickered. "Until then, they're just some director's sick doll fantasy."

"Come on, guys," Sakura sighed. "If I tell you why I'm happy, will you stop arguing?"

"Yeah…Probably not," Deidara snickered, causing her to roll her eyes.

"I can guess," Sasori said with a smug look on his face. "You got the internship, right?"

"Well, yes but—"

"You got the internship?" a voice interjected, the owner being a certain Uchiha she had been obsessed with recently. Sakura nodded mutely under Itachi's stare.

"Hey, move out of the way, Uchiha," Deidara grumbled, trying to push him away with no luck.

"Don't you have another class to go to?" Itachi asked the blonde, raising a delicate eyebrow. Deidara frowned.

"Yes."

"Well, Sakura and I have English now. So you may leave."

"Hey, I'm here too," Sasori sarcastically added, holding open the door to the classroom for Sakura and trying (but failing) to slam the door in Itachi's face. Thankfully, Sakura's subsequent giggle calmed them down slightly.

"Come on, guys. We need to get to our seats before Mr. Hatake catches you two making too much noise," she protested teasingly, rolling her eyes.

At which point Sakura began to do her best Kakashi impression, stroking an imaginary beard as she said in a deep voice: "are you kids _trying_ to make me question my career choice?"

Sasori and Itachi simultaneously cracked a rare smile, but froze when a certain presence opened the door of the classroom.

"That's a very good impression, Miss Haruno," Mr. Hatake commented cheerfully, making her flush in embarrassment. "But you need to work on the voice. Mine is definitely more mysterious and masculine than that."

"Heh, sorry," she sheepishly laughed before half-running to her seat. As soon as class started, she heard Itachi whisper something to her.

"I can't do lunch today," he said softly, making Neji (who had appeared just before the bell rung) and Sasori glare at him with all the hatred two jealous teenage boys could muster.

She frowned a bit, wanting to ask him why he couldn't stay with her, but lacking the courage and self-confidence. "It's okay, I guess."

"But how about I make it up to you tonight? How does dinner sound?"

In the background, she faintly registered what sounded like Neji having a coughing attack. Sasori, however, was less than subtle about his feelings.

"That's so sketchy," he commented a little too loudly for being in the middle of class. At least Kakashi didn't seem to notice/mind as he continued his little talk on parallel structure.

"It's a study date," Itachi glared at Sasori.

Date?

_Date?_

_DATE?_

"So what do you say, Sakura?"

She nodded quickly, her mind still going over the same four letters over and over until she could realize that…

….Little-Miss-Virgin Sakura Haruno was going on her first (technically not a formal date because he said _studying_, but maybe she'd forget her books at home and show up and be like "oh my! I forgot my books! Guess we better kiss instead!" because that seemed to always work in romantic comedies) kinda-sorta date.

_Hell yes._

* * *

Itachi picking her up (and talking to a smitten Shizune) had been surprisingly casual, and she hadn't truly felt the jolt of romantic-interest-adrenaline until right after they had bought their food and sat down in a booth at a casual coffee-shop/café at 5:07pm.

Sakura tried her best not to comment on the fact that the only other patrons that ate this early tended to be on the…_elderly_ side, but she supposed that Itachi didn't seem to notice. (Though she could definitely picture him being a very adorable old man)

She had relentlessly gone over her closet in hopes to find something to look like she _hadn't_ relentlessly gone over her closet, and the best she came up with was a pair of skin-tight gray skinny jeans and a long-sleeved shirt that she bunched up around her elbows. And since she spent the majority of the two hours she had free after school doing stupid homework, her hair was as it usually was: long, but with her bangs pushed back by a headband.

"When do you start your internship?" Itachi asked calmly before taking a sip of his tea. She was so caught up in the fact he looked way more mature than she could ever be that she nearly missed his question.

"I don't know, I'll have to ask Mr, Uchiha for the details," she responded, before furrowing her eyebrows in concentration. "..Isn't he your—"

"Uncle," he said sharply, before adding: "He and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye."

"Why not?" she blurted without hesitation, only to quickly apologize. "Oh, I'm sorry—you don't have to answer that..."

"No, it's fine," he sighed with a pensive look on his face. "My parents and my uncle all have a very fixed view on how Sasuke and I should grow up, without any concern to how it makes us feel. While I tend to fall within their standards fairly well, Sasuke is not their favorite, and I've had to defend him much more than a few times during a family dinner."

Sakura frowned, once again contemplating Sasuke's hurried confession to her in the hallway the other day. Was he just going through a phase, like Naruto had implied? Or was he rebelling against his strict parents? A small tendril of guilt coiled within the pit of her stomach, and she was suddenly a lot less interested in the panini in front of her.

"Though I don't think he's making his situation any better," she commented. Itachi chuckled at that, a deep rumble that was barely audible yet made her cheeks turn all sorts of red.

"True, true," he noted.

"Yeah."

…..

…..

…..

…._oh shit._

_An awkward silence._

Unfortunately, Sakura did not know that Itachi found silence rather comforting (and he only shared it with those he trusted), so while they both took bites of their food (his slow and methodical, hers frantic), she racked her brain for any kind of conversation starter.

"Hey, is that a tattoo on your arm?" she asked abruptly, her eyes glued to a part of his inner bicep that was exposed when he had lifted his arm to pick up his sandwich.

"Uh.."

Well that was something. The smooth, careful Itachi Uchiha couldn't think of what to say.

"Is that why you wear a tshirt under your basketball underform? So that it doesn't show?"

"It's nothing," he dismissed.

"It didn't_ look_ like nothing…" she grumbled, before he swiftly changed the conversation to something about English or French class (she couldn't remember)….

All she could think about when she got home was the quarter-sized design of a black cloud outlined in crimson.

* * *

When Neji had asked her a month before to help with the flowers booth on the day before Valentine's Day, Sakura did not expect the level of chaos she was now experiencing.

Floods of love-starved teenagers lined up at the table with crinkled dollar bills in their hands, all waiting to sign a slip of paper that sent a red rose (along with a sweet message) to their beloveds the next day. Unfortunately, their "undying love" for their significant other did not seem to extend into the realms of creativity, because every single person wanted to write the same boring thing.

_Roses are Red, Violets are Blue_

_[insert cheesy rhyme]_

_I love you, sweetie._

_Happy Valentines Day!_

_[insert T-swift lyrics]_

_Baby, you belong with me._

_Your eyes are like [insert something to do with nature]_

_And I love you_

Or….Sakura's personal favorite, the ones that Shisui sent out to his multitudes of "almost-lovers": (she nearly gagged when he used that term)

_Girl, you're amazing just the way you are._

_-Shisui (;_

(Notice how he artfully avoided using the girls' actual names, thus saving the trouble of personalizing it)

Just as she had abandoned all hopes of romance (and just as she was starting to crave a night of mint ice cream and sappy romantic dramas), Kiba came to unexpectedly break the monotony. He reached the table with a weird almost-smile on his face, no trace of his usual perverted smirk. But just as he was about to open his mouth to order…..he made eye contact with Sakura.

"Sa-Sakura!" he stuttered out, cheeks flushing rapidly. "What are you doing here?!"

Sakura giggled a little to herself at his cute expression. "I'm working the booth, Kiba. Duh."

A thoughtful look graced her face.

"Wait a second, Kiba….Ki-duh!" she laughed suddenly. "I've found the perfect name to call you when you're being perverted! Ki-duuuuh."

Kiba sighed dramatically, but still failed to look the pretty girl directly in the eye. He faintly registered the groans of the people waiting behind him.

"I think I'll just leave then," he said quietly, making Sakura's smile deflate and eyes go wide.

"I was just joking!" she said frantically, grabbing his hand across the table in attempts of apologizing. "Please forgive me, Kiba? I promise not to hit you for saying something dirty for the rest of the week!"

He looked down at their connected hands (hers soft and supple, and his warm and big), and much to her surprise, dropped her hand like it was burning hot, his cheeks reddening at an alarming rate.

"F-fine," he mumbled out, leading her to smile in victory. He gained his composure quickly after. "You know, I'm not as perverted as you think I am."

Sakura gave him an incredulous look.

"It's my only way of laying claim so the real creep—Suigetsu—doesn't try to rape you in the middle of class," he huffed out. Sakura gave a sarcastic _"aww, how sweet of you"_ comment before he slammed his money on the table with a determined look on his face.

"I want to buy a rose and a message!"

"Yeah, that's what _everybody_ is here for…"

"I want to buy a rose and a message….but I don't want you reading it!'

"Why not?" she asked. He was obviously not prepared for that question.

"Uh..um…. I have a sexy, mysterious image to maintain and can't have you peering into the romantic soul I have underneath!"

"Whatever, Kiba," Sakura laughed, handing him the card and making a point to cover her eyes as he filled it out and flipped it upside-down, mixing it in with the others so she couldn't go searching for it. His efforts definitely took at least two minutes, so she commented on the fact. "Hope you wrote the next Spicholas Narks novel."

But as he left, she couldn't stop wishing that every boy coming up to the table had an expression as genuine and cute as Kiba's.

* * *

The actual _day _of Valentine's Day had been surprisingly very uneventful, though no student was left unscathed by the pure _awkward_ the holiday brought on….save for the few existing couples.

TenTen and Lee were absent (the brunette had mentioned to Sakura a few days ago that they were going to a "romantic" music festival), and Naruto had spent all of Art class munching on chocolates that Hinata had made for him, a stupid love-sick grin on his face the whole time.

("What a loser," Deidara had commented, and Sasori had agreed, before Sakura stopped them by saying how _cute_ it was. That quickly shut them up.)

Itachi had been in one of his "I'm-so-contemplative-that-I-don't-talk-very-much moods" during lunch, so she spent most of that hour wondering if she'd get any flowers sent to her during 8th hour (history), because that was when they would be sent out to everyone.

And finally, 8th hour came, sandwiched in between Shisui and Kiba, with Suigetsu trying to edge his way in. (She couldn't help but remember what Kiba had said about him, and since she trusted Kiba, she tried her best to stay as far away as she could without making him suspicious.). As soon as the bell rung, Orochimaru faced the class with a giddy expression, sighing something about "the wonders of teenage lust" before passing out the flowers to the class.

"Ooh, Miss Sakura," he said as he reached her, placing six different roses on her desk. "Popular lady!"

One was simple: _"Ophelia"_ was all it read.

The Next: "_You must be a firework, the way you light up my world."_ (She rolled her eyes at that)

Third: "_Girl, you're amazing just the way you are." _(She glared at Shisui, who only giggled)

Fourth: "_Your eyes are like stars in my universe" _(She didn't comment on how there were literally billions of stars in _everyone's_ universe)

Fifth: "_You don't know-oh-oh. You don't know you're beautiful!" _(What the fuck. That was just blatantly plagiarizing that one 1D song. It didn't even sound poetic.)

And lastly, a dozen or so sentences had been erased hastily, replaced with a simple: "_I like you."_

Not realizing three boys around her had read them all, she was surprised to hear Suigetsu's laugh in her ear.

"Woah, that last one is stupid compared to the others."

"Yeah, there's like zero creativity," Shisui agreed.

Kiba remained silent.

"At least the other ones tried!" Suigetsu added in between his boisterous laughter.

Kiba looked down.

"Hey—Guys!" Sakura glared at Suigetsu and Shisui, interrupting their giggle-fest. "Just because someone puts in a stupid pick-up line does not make it better! You know what…I _prefer_ the last one, because at least its honest, and it's not just someone using the lyrics of a pop song!"

"Yeah!" Kiba said proudly, making the other three turn their heads in his direction. He paled. "Um…yeah. That guy is a true stud. Props to him. Sounds like a great guy."

And without any other conversation, class started, leaving Sakura unable to dwell on any of the messages she had received.

* * *

Though Sakura (and a vast majority of single women around the world) had spent the last week binging on post-Valentine's chocolates, she decided it had been long enough since she had been eating healthy.

Though she hadn't gained any weight, Shizune's constant prodding about how "healthy eating is preventative care!" made Sakura decide to take up jogging.

So there she was, clad in a _Konoha Poms _sweatshirt and black spandex leggings, sprinting around a neighborhood a few miles away from her own. She was on her way back home, sweat beading on her forehead despite the cold temperature outside, when she saw a car slow down out of the corner of her eye.

Now, she was slightly used to this, because men in cars always liked to slow down to look at girls running, but this felt different.

"Hey, sweetie!"

Ignore them, Ignore them, Ignore them…

"You go to Konoha High School?"

ignorethemignorethemignorethem

"We just so happened to lose to them a month ago!"

She cursed how there were no other cars around to make them have to speed up. However, she refused to look over to see the faces of those in the car.

"Sound High School, remember?"

She was just about to break into a sprint when—

"Cause I remember you! You're Uchiha's little girlfriend!"

The icy weather soon found itself into her veins, and she didn't even bother dwelling on the fact that they didn't specify _which_ Uchiha.

"You know, we could always teach him a lesson.." one of them said to the other, not talking to her directly. She still refused to look over.

"Hey, sweetie. How 'bout you come take a ride with _us_? We won't bite…"

It was at that point that every survival instinct she had within her caused her to sprint at the rate of an Olympic gold medalist. The men in the car cackled in delight…only before they realized she had run them into a busy road where they had no choice but to speed up and leave.

She nearly collapsed to the ground, panting and heaving and reaching into her sports bra to take out her cell phone with shaky hands and call Shizune to pick her up.

Then, her only mission:

To use those self-defense courses Auntie Mei had given her for Christmas.

* * *

**Did anyone catch the joke with Itachi in the coffee shop…..with him and Madara not seeing "eye-to-eye?" hahahaha puns kill me. **

**I hope people get what I meant by "Spicholas Narks." I love mixing up letters to avoid copyright infringment. Heh.**

**AND PS: JUST BECAUSE SAKURA GOT 6 ROSES DOES NOT MEAN THAT ONLY 6 PEOPLE FIND HER ATTRACTIVE/WANT TO MAKE OUT/LIKE HER. **

**And wow, that cloud tattoo seems awfully important to (eventual) plot lines! I wonder what if could represent! **


	10. March: Freshman

**Hmm…I know almost nothing about how the whole Beta thing works…but if anyone wants to be one for me I'd be very pleased. (:**

**PS: It's AP testing season so my life sucks**

* * *

**_Contact: Sakura_**

**_Option: Send Message_**

_SAKURA! Are you excited about the field trip next week?!_

_Of course! I love going to museums! They're so serene!_

_Uh…sure...but I meant the part where we go out to eat with the entire freaking Art class_

_Naruto._

_Since Kurenai's paying for us all, I'm going to eat until I EXPLODE!_

_Hinata is such a lucky girl._

* * *

It was the first Saturday of March that Sakura decided to hold herself to her own promise.

Though the self-defense gym was within walking distance, she begged Shizune to drive her (without explaining what had happened to her before), which only took a few minutes. So there she was, staring at the entrance with a few nervous butterflies dancing around in her stomach. She was dressed in a very neutral outfit of black spandex leggings and a _Konoha Pom Squad_ tshirt, paired with her favorite green tennis shoes.

There was no turning back. (Since she was already dressed, obviously)

With a goodbye wave to Shizune, Sakura opened the door to the medium-sized building, immediately being hit with the smell of disinfectant and rubber. _At least that means they clean the place…_

A pretty girl with a brunette bob smiled at her behind the front desk.

"Are you Sakura?"

"Uh..yeah," she answered nervously, inconspicuously glancing around the gym.

"Your mother called earlier. You're scheduled with our best trainer, Zabuza," the girl assured her. "Go into the main room, he's already here."

"Thanks!" she said before hurriedly walking over, the floor covered with a thick mat not unlike the kind you would find in a gymnastics gym. A few punching bags littered the surrounding area. But she didn't see any teac—

There was a light tap on the back of her neck.

"If I had any sort of weapon, you'd be dead right now," she heard a deep voice growl. Whipping around, she came face-to-face to one of the most intimidating men she'd ever seen. He was extremely tall with choppy dark hair, and there wasn't an ounce of fat visible on his body. However, he wasn't bulky like the stereotypical boxer, instead being long and lean.

"Aren't you a pretty little thing," he smirked. "Start stretching while I talk to you."

She frantically dropped to the ground, spreading her legs and leaning forward to loosen each limb.

"Hearing that you were a dancer, I thought that we'd start at the intermediate level, but seeing you in person, you're far too small for that," he said professionally, looking her over with a critical eye. "You'll need to gain more muscle, particularly in your arms."

"I have lots of muscle!" she protested without thinking. "It just doesn't look like it!"

He frowned.

"Then prove me wrong," he said quietly. "Land one punch on me."

"A p-punch?" she stammered out. "But I've never done anything like that!"

"_Prove me wrong_."

She took a deep breath and rose up, trying to look more confident that she felt. While looking him dead in the eye, she flew her first forward, aiming for his abdomen before he caught it easily.

"Try it again."

She aimed for his shoulder only to have him dodge once more.

"Again."

She narrowed her eyes before releasing a full-fledged attack on him, throwing dozens of hits but not landing a single one. At that point, she began to realize that it was pointless, and she sank back down to the ground, trying to regain her breath.

"You might think that being a dancer helps you, but right now it's only hurting you," he said smoothly, without a single sign that he had been moving around. "I'll count this as your pre-screening. Come back next week, and I'll have a full plan and schedule for you."

"W-what?" she gaped, still on the ground.

"Your Aunt was very specific when it came to your training," he mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Said something about 'waking up that girl's inner beast.'"

Sakura sighed. _At least she knows what she wants...?_

"I'll have Haku call you as soon as we're ready," he finalized, gesturing to the girl at the desk. "For now, try doing as many strength exercises as you can at home."

"Yeah, okay. Thanks!" she smiled, now realizing that she had a week until she would have to face him again.

"Oh, by the way, you go to Konoha, right?"

She nodded.

"Heh, I happen to know a guy who teaches there..." he said quietly, trailing off.

Not wanting to push the matter (he _was_ a very intimidating man, after all), Sakura silently left the gym, making sure to wave goodbye to Haku.

* * *

"Students! Calm down!" Mrs. Sarutobi begged frantically, trying to keep her eyes on twenty high school art students at the same time. "Remember! We're here for the art!"

"I'm here for the food!" Naruto cheerfully added, earning a smack on the arm from Sakura. A few students muttered their agreements.

"Shut up, idiot," Sasori growled, clearly being one of the only ones there that was actually interested in the paintings and sculptures surrounding them. Not even Sakura, the overachieving honors student, was fully paying attention.

"Okay, if you don't listen carefully, you won't know about your upcoming project...worth _200 points of your grade_."

Sakura perked up, alongside the other students like her that took the class because it was required.

Deidara, Sasori, and the other "true artists" leaned in for different reasons.

_A chance to prove my superiority..._Sasori smirked to himself.

_A chance to show that asshole Sasori who's _really _the best! _Deidara silently grinned.

"Now that I have all of your attention," Kurenai said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Let me remind you that this project will consist of 20% of your grade for this semester."

Some quiet protests and grumblings were heard throughout the crowd. Sakura inwardly sighed. Didn't people understand yet that this class was only graded on effort? How else would she have an A+ in the class with no artistic talent whatsoever?

"Your theme is ambiguous on purpose," Kurenai grinned, white teeth contrasting brilliantly with her bright red lipstick. "That way you can use as much creativity as possible!"

"Well what is it?" Deidara whined. "Tell us!"

Kurenai shot him a dirty look. Just because the kid was an artistic genius did _not _mean she'd take his bullshit.

"Innocence."

A loud chorus of _Whaat? _and _Huh? _Resounded throughout the students. But the brunette teacher was not to be stopped by her students' "obvious lack of appreciation."

"You can choose the pure, the corrupted, those just within darknesses' grasp…_anything to do with morality and the struggle of good and evil_," she trailed off, eyes glimmering with possibilities. Sometimes, Sakura wondered if Mrs. Sarutobi would be better off teaching some literary analysis class. (Or a drama class, if they had one)

Unfortunately, since she was so lost in her own thoughts, she completely misread the kids' blank, horrified expressions as being stunned with joy.

_I'm such a good teacher_…she thought proudly. _Better than Asuma's silly French shit. Even if he _does _sound really hot when he speaks the "language of love"…_

* * *

It didn't take long for the field trip to be over, and when it was, the students all sat in the art room together, waiting for the day to end. The only good thing that came out of it was that they got to miss an entire day of school (you know, the classes that actually counted?)

As you could probably assume, Sakura was not too pleased to have missed a day's worth of lectures and notes, very evident by the fact that her mouth seemed to be set in a firm grimace. Nevertheless, Deidara was hopeless when it came to picking up on social cues and tried to talk to her anyways.

"Hey Sakura, guess what~?" Deidara sang out, running his finger down her arm. However, before she could give him a glare, Naruto beat her to it.

"What do you want, Deidara?" Naruto grumbled. "I'm_ sick_ of hearing you talk! You and Sasori spent that entire field trip arguing about stupid art techniques!"

"Naturalism and Existentialism are two very different perspectives in any medium," Sasori frowned distastefully.

"Shut up, Sasori. They're both depressing and outdated," Deidara whined.

"That's rich, coming from someone who—"

"WHAT did you need to tell me?" Sakura growled out, tired from being stuck in the middle of art-philosophy debates.

"Well..ahem," Deidara started. "I've chosen my subject for the 'Innocence' project."

"What is it?" she deadpanned, looking _oh so obviously _interested in whatever he had to say.

"You!"

Sakura froze for a second. "…me?"

"Yeah! I'll probably be mostly using oil pastels, and then some-"

"Then I'm doing Sakura, too," Sasori interjected without hesitation, and you could practically _see_ the immediate tension that filled the air.

"Ew," Naruto giggled immaturely until Sasori's cold stare shut him up. "But what do you guys mean?"

"We have to draw something, so I've decided to make it some-ONE," Deidara hastily explained, more focused on Sakura's reaction than if Naruto understood or not.

But to his subtle despair, her expression was trained to that of cool indifference…which could also be interpreted as "I am tired of taking this bullshit."

"Make it a contest," Naruto giggled, masculine as usual. "Whoever gets the highest grade gets Sakura's hand in marriage."

Glare from Sakura.

Grin from Deidara.

Blank expression from Sasori.

"Marriage, my ass…," Sakura grumbled.

"We get your ass?!" Deidara cheered, this time getting Sakura to react (oh, she did alright) by smacking his frantically waving hands away from her.

"Okay, wouldn't it make more sense to just ask for a _date_ or something? Geez…," she sighed, obviously not seeing that her words just sealed her own fate.

"Whoever wins gets a date!" Naruto yelped, making Mrs Sarutobi look over and shush them by pointedly putting a finger to her lips.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"NOT fine!" Sakura hissed.

"My theme will be springtime, and the absolute rapture of innocent youth that only lasts a moment before dying away!" Deidara announced, smiling proudly.

"My theme is a secret, but Sakura will be the perfect subject," Sasori said a little quietly, void of his usual smirk. Perhaps the possibility of competition scared him a bit?

...wait, was he actually worried that he could lose?

Nah, he must have a stomachache or something. After all, he's never even complimented Deidara's art, let alone declare it a threat.

But the bell then sounded off proudly, interrupting everyone's train of thought, save for a silently scheming strawberry-blonde.

"Naruto!" she whispered sharply, pulling him to her before he could walk away with everyone else. "Could you do me a favor?"

* * *

"How was your field trip yesterday?" TenTen asked brightly as she walked side-by-side her favorite little Freshman. Thankfully, the walking unit in gym meant that they got to spent the entire gym period just walking around the track, getting 45 minutes to gossip and chat.

"…Interesting," she mused, thinking back to Sasori and Deidara's little "competition" with a slight frown. She hadn't even agreed to it, for fuck's sake!

TenTen nodded, watching the expressions dance across Sakura's face. _Does she even know how easy she is to read? She wears her heart on her sleeve without even realizing it… _

"You know…," the brunette started with a faux-innocent tone. "Are you free tonight?"

"Why?" Sakura asked, a little bit suspicious. After all, TenTen had a bit of a sassy side to her, and while it reminded her of the adventures Ino would coax her into, it was still disconcerting.

"I'm getting people together to see a movie tonight!" she said proudly. "Do you wanna come with? I can drive you there!"

"Like who?"

"Um..Me, Hinata…other people…," the girl said a bit nervously,

"Is this some sort of group date?" Sakura asked sternly.

"Uh…Of course not! We're just going to see a sappy romance movie and gorge ourselves on buttery popcorn. Nothing relationship-y about that! Heh…heh…"

"Oh well then that's perfectly fine," Sakura grinned happily, making TenTen feel the sliiiightest bit guilty…but at the same time, not at all.

(_It's all for the greater good_. She thought to herself proudly)

"I'll pick you up at seven, okay?"

"Sure. Sounds great!"

* * *

Later that night, by the time TenTen picked her up, Sakura was starting to get a sense that the girl had something planned.

"Do you have perfume on?" she asked suddenly, making Sakura give her a weird look.

"I showered this morning. I put on deodorant. Is that not good enough?" she asked slowly. "It's not like there's someone I'm trying to impress or anything…"

"Open up the glove-box, okay? There's a bottle of vanilla-smelling stuff. Spray yourself a view times."

And why did that sound more like a command than a friendly suggestion?

Nevertheless, she obliged, causing TenTen to sigh in relief.

"Did I smell bad?" Sakura asked, now worried.

"No, you just needed to smell a little more flirty"

"What does that even mea-"

"WOW LOOK AT THAT, WE'RE HERE ALREADY!" TenTen exclaimed loudly, pulling haphazardly into a parking spot right in front of the large movie theater. As they walked in, Sakura couldn't help but notice that her friend was now frantically adjusting herself, smoothing down her hair, rubbing imaginary dust off her clothes, and taking a deep breath.

"What is wrong with you?" Sakura gaped. However, when they walked in, her question was answered by a big green blur racing past to envelope TenTen in a bone-crushing hug.

"TenTeeeen! We were so worried that you got lost trying to find Sakura's house or something!" Rock Lee said dramatically as he wrapped his arms around her, overly dramatic as ever.

Wait…_we?_

Sakura turned her head, only to face Naruto and Hinata (holding hands and looking like an adorable couple in general), and…Neji.

He nodded towards her, which she knew was Neji-speak for "_hello, nice to see you,"_ but nevertheless only made the situation a little more awkward.

"Huh, Neji. I never really saw you as a movie person?" Sakura commented, looking around and noticing that everyone already had tickets. Thankfully, Hinata handed one to her (Oh yeah. Didn't have to pay) as they all were ushered into the crowded theater. The only open row was the one in the very front, so they all had the wonderful pleasure of craning their necks up to see the screen properly.

Sakura sat near the middle, with Neji on her right and Lee on her left. The movie started almost just as they sat down, so she got to be perfectly snuggled next to her favorite brunette sophomore and an exuberant boy in green holding an extra large popcorn.

"If you need any popcorn, just reach over!" Lee assured everyone around him, save for Naruto and Hinata, since they were smart enough to buy their own so that they didn't have to keep bugging everyone else. And Sakura, being the ever-so-smart girl she was, forgoed the large soda, because she _definitely _did not want to get up to pee every 30 minutes.

As the movie's intro sequence began, the soft music relaxed her a bit, almost making her forget how Neji was centimeters away from her arm, exuding his usual attractive-boy aura.

Almost.

Even over the intense smells of popcorn and half-opened candy bars, she could detect a faint masculine smell, something crisp like cologne, yet a little softer. It then registered in her mind that it was a strong possibility that the smell was Neji.

_Mmmm.._

(She had to admit that she rather enjoyed it)

In fact, she enjoyed it so much that she subconsciously had scooted over as close to him as possible, pressed directly against the armrest with her knee brushing his. But it didn't really seem to make him react, unless of course that was a faint hint of a blush she saw on his—

_Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! _A shrill voice cried, making Sakura jump a little in her seat and nearly have a heart attack. Neji turned to her.

"Are you okay?" he said quietly, brow furrowed. Not wanting to admit that she had completely ignored whatever the first few minutes of the movie were, she just nodded mutely and faced the screen, only to see a buxom blonde being sliced in half by a rusty chain saw.

As the actress' wails were replaced by the sounds of her choking on her own "blood," the audience cheered, making Sakura jump once more.

"W-wasn't this supposed to be a romance movie?" she hissed to TenTen, who seem just as surprised at the amount of gore and guts occupying the screen at the moment.

"I think we got into the wrong theater," TenTen whispered from her left, narrowing her eyes. "Or Naruto bought the wrong tickets."

The panicked look on Naruto's face explained the situation rather quickly.

"But I bought the ones for _Life is Short but Sweet_!" he gaped out.

"Naruto…," Neji sighed, "The romance movie was called _Screaming and Crying_."

At this point, Naruto was getting nervous under the glares of all his friends.

"Okay! You can obviously see how one could confuse those, right?" he explained rather loudly, catching the attention of the people in the row behind them.

"Hey, shuttup!"

"Sit still, asshole, we're trying to watch!"

"You guys can't handle this? Seriously?"

The six teenagers sat perfectly still, though Sakura could tell from Neji's glare that he very much wanted to say something back.

"It's probably better if we just sit and watch," Sakura whispered to her friends, all of them nodding in response. However, the screams came from the speakers once more, making her instinctively bite her lip in fright.

Lee saw the way she clutched the armrest and gave her a worried look. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she assured quietly, hiding a grimace as a knife sliced through the torso of yet another pretty actress. "I'm just not the biggest fan of horror movies."

"Well you're going to have to get used to blood if you wanna be a doctor!" Naruto said roughly, making sure the people behind them didn't scold them for talking again.

"I think the senseless violence is what's bothering her," Neji broke in, rolling his eyes. "Unlike _some_ people, she's probably not desensitized by video games and mindless cartoons."

One of the people behind them let out an exasperated sigh, effectively shutting them up.

Neji gave Sakura a tired smile, though the friendly gesture looked really awkward on him, as if he was unused to it. If Sakura remembered correctly, Hinata had told her before how Neji had never really had the chance to "enjoy his childhood," as his family had always expected him to be mature and professional in order to maintain appearances. But at the moment, such business looked far from his mind, as he squinted slightly at the screen, looking as if he was trying to find some sort of plot underneath the gore. The way his eyes focused, she could tell that he would need glasses sometime in the future, and for some reason, she found it quite adorable.

Without realizing it, the corners of her lips began to rise.

TenTen looked over for the briefest second, and was met with a cute sight: Sakura, completely focused on Neji, ignoring the movie in favor of watching the expressions flit across his face. (Though he was mostly just confused as to why people would intentionally pay to see something so vulgar) Before, it was entirely her intention to set Sakura up with Deidara, but now she could see why Hinata was so enamored with her cousin and Sakura together.

She sighed lightly to herself, leaning her head on Lee's warm shoulder. First, there was Deidara and Sakura, artist and muse, but now there was also Neji and Sakura, two attractive overachievers. Shit…were there any _more _boys she neeed to know about?

(Oh TenTen, if only you knew)

* * *

The group of teenagers left the theater in a sleepy haze, unused to the bright daylight shining down on them, making their eyes sting. Naruto still clung to a bucket of popcorn sopping with butter and artificial preservatives, while Lee's hand found its way around TenTen's.

Neji and Sakura walked awkwardly next to each other, unsure of what distance was appropriate. Their arms hung limply at the their sides, trying to avoid the fact that they were essentially on a triple date, and now that NaruHina and LeeTen had partnered off, they were expected to as well.

"I can't say I liked that movie very much," Sakura said quietly to herself as they almost reached the parking lot, looking around at all the kids their age milling around the front of the building.

"I would not recommend it to any pleasant company," Neji replied curtly, receiving a soft smile from his strawberry-blonde companion.

Unfortunately, Naruto had to ruin the mood.

"Hey isn't that Sasuke?" he exclaimed without thinking, pointing off in the distance. Everyone's steps faltered, particularly Sakura, who froze immediately. Unconsciously, Neji's hand made its way to the small of her back in attempts of a comforting gesture.

She looked to where Naruto had so brazenly pointed.

A group of kids, two of them wearing Sound High School sweatshirts stood a few feet from the corner of the movie theater, wisps of cigarette smoke implying that at least one of them was breaking the law carelessly in public. And sure enough, standing at the center of the delinquents was Sasuke Uchiha, a small frown adorning his handsome face. A plastic baggy dangled from his clenched fist, filled with something green that Sakura couldn't identify. (But somehow, Lee and TenTen knew, for they started whispering about it immediately)

"Let me go over there and-" Naruto started, only to be cut off by Neji.

"We're going home."

He looked like he was deliberating it in his head, but after seeing Sakura's hurt expression, he immediately decided to comply.

"Uh…yeah. That makes sense. I mean, I have a lot of homework to do and stuff…" he trailed off, and no one called him out on his blatant lie.

TenTen gently released herself from Lee.

"I'll take you home, Sakura. Everyone else can find their own rides," she faux-teased, failing to maintain any sort of happy atmosphere.

And so they left hurriedly, not bothering to look back at Sasuke _who had definitely seen Neji's hand on her back_, and certainly not bothering to say anything _although Sakura wanted nothing more than to go over and scream at him for making bad decisions and ruining his own life._

TenTen, being the ever-caring friend she was, didn't even make Sakura talk the entire ride home.

(She would just ask Hinata for the back-story later)

* * *

"Well, I've graded all the projects," Mrs. Sarutobi exclaimed happily to the class. "And I am quite pleased with the results. You all seemed to have taken this project quite seriously!"

The class nodded and grinned, all except Sasori and Deidara, who were grumpily staring each other down. Naruto and Sakura just sat in anxious silence.

"Who got the highest grade?" a kid in the front asked brashly, crossing his arms and waiting for an answer.

Kurenai sighed. "Well, technically I'm not allowed to say that, but if you wish, you may talk amongst yourselves as I pass out the grading sheets."

And so she quickly walked around the room, passing out sheets with red markings stapled to the original projects.

"What did you get, yeah?" Deidara perilously asked Sasori, though a smug smirk tore across his tan cheeks.

"You first," Sasori growled. Sakura rolled her eyes at the two, frowning a bit at the 98% she received. (Just barely an A+….)

"100 percent" they both exclaimed at the same time, surprising each other. Without explanation, they lunged for each other's papers to make sure the other was telling the truth. (They were)

"This is actually pretty good…," Sasori grunted out, as if it pained him to admit.

"Yeah, yours isn't so bad either," Deidara admitted. "Though that's probably because you decided to use Sakura. She's the only reason you got this grade."

They sat in silence, pondered over each other's work.

"So who wins?" Sasori asked Sakura with a glint of something in his amber eyes. (Did he look…nervous? Aw..)

At that exact moment, Mrs. Sarutobi dropped Naruto's grade in front of him, giving him a bright smile.

"I was so glad that you decided to draw something other than food, Naruto," she praised, patting him lightly on the back. "So I gave you some extra credit. Hopefully you can continue this level of work in the future."

The sheet fell in front of them.

"…..103%?!" Deidara gasped.

"Is this a joke?!" Sasori exclaimed, uncharacteristically loud.

"Nah, just hard work and dedication," Naruto chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "And I draw a picture of Sakura hugging a fox. Creative, huh?"

"That's not even remotely creative…," Dediara grumbled, stopping as soon as Sakura shot him a glare.

"I thought it looked cute," she pouted.

"You knew about this beforehand?" Sasori asked sharply. Sakura's cheeks flushed for the briefest of seconds, suddenly caught.

"Heh…I _may or may not _have asked him to participate in your little contest," she let out sheepishly. The two artists groaned.

"Ugh, Sakura, why do you do this to me, yeah," Deidara muttered under his breath, while Sasori just brooded silently.

"Well, ladies," Naruto grinned. "I believe Sakura over here owes me a date. Though I'm not sure if it qualifies as one, exactly, because I'm definitely bringing Hinata and Neji with me."

"Neji?" Deidara frowned. "Wait—that's not fair, yeah!"

"Even though Neji can be a prick, I'd rather have him around Sakura than you two!" Naruto teased, sticking his tongue out and watching the other two boys fume.

Sakura just giggled.

* * *

**Happy mother's day I guess. Heh…I definitely did not check this for mistakes because I wanted to upload it quickly. **


	11. April: Freshman

**Happy birthday, Itachi! I got a present just for you. (aka how this chapter ends)**

**And I have more to write tomorrow and the next day because I have ridiculous amounts of free time then.**

* * *

**_Contact: Sakura_**

**_Option: Send Message_**

_How was Easter and spring break?_

_Oh Hinata! It was perfect…I did absolutely nothing but lie in my backyard in the sun!_

_Sakura, you know that it is impossible for us to tan._

_Um…I did get a tiny bit tan. (a tiny bit…heh)_

* * *

"Sakura, do you have any idea why I called you into my office today?" Tsunade boomed from behind her desk in the principle's office, uncharacteristically (completely) sober.

"Did I do something wrong recently?" Sakura squeaked out, holding her hands together tightly in her lap. "I've been going in at least 15 minutes early for every volunteer shift (like you asked), and one of the residential doctors complimented me on my bedside manner and—"

"Don't worry, sweetie!" the blonde cackled. "Haha…oh you should've seen your face. You get really nervous, eh?"

"That's not funny," Sakura pouted to herself.

"Well, what I _really_ called in to say was that I've recommended you for a summer medical camp in Iwa. It runs for three weeks in July, and it would be a very good opportunity for you."

"Are you serious?" Sakura gaped, eyes wide. Tsunade frowned.

"I understand that the drive is long…maybe 8 hours tops?"

"That's great!" the girl grinned, cheeks flushed with excitement. "Is there any paperwork I have to sign or anything?"

"No, everything's taken care of. Even the price-"

"But-"

"-Which I will not tell you the amount..and you will be working at Iwa's Capital Hospital and rooming in the medical students' dorms."

"You are so perfect thank you, thank you, thankyousomuch, oh my god I need to tell my mom!"

Tsunade smiled. _She gets excited so easily._

* * *

Though Sakura did not want to admit it, she was struggling with the exercises Zabuza was making her do over and over again.

Her knuckles felt like they would fall off after having slammed them into a punching bag endlessly, her legs felt like they would give out at any second, and she was light-headed to the point of almost being dizzy.

"Are you giving up?" Zabuza taunted, giving her that infuriating smirk that she so desperately wanted to wipe of his face.

"Of course not!" she gasped out, trying to sound confident but nevertheless struggling to breathe as she attempted yet another pull-up.

(You see how easy it is to do pull-ups after your hands are practically bleeding)

"Well your Aunt told me that I had to push you as hard as possible, and I'm sure as hell not one to disappoint! After this you do two hundred crunches and at least a thousand jumping jacks and _maybe_ you can be done!"

_Fucking psycho._

Much to her surprise, she (eventually) completed the exercises, leaving the workout room with a painful grimace on her sweaty face. (It didn't help that Zabuza added at the end: 'See you next week and be ready to start some _real_ work!')

"He's just trying to push your limits. Don't worry."

She lifted up her head, locking eyes with Haku at the front desk.

"Eh?"

"He was talking to me about you a few days ago. He admires your dedication, which is why he's using it to make you work harder."

Sakura frowned. "Well he doesn't have to be so mean about it…"

"Hey Haku! No flirting on the job!" a voice bellowed from behind her, nearly making her jump. Apparently Zabuza had to make sure she didn't die on her way out?

"Flirting?" Sakura laughed. "Yeah, _sure."_

"No dating my receptionist, okay?" the man made sure to add, a teasing grin on his face. "Boys his age already have short enough attention spans; he doesn't need any distractions."

Sakura's world froze for a second.

_He?_

* * *

A few days later, Sakura ran into another Sound High School student.

She had been avidly walking through the local library, browsing through hundreds of shelves in order to find books to help her study for finals, when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

"By chance, are you Sakura Haruno?" a soft voice asked. She turned her head slightly to look behind, but the hand now resting on her arm had other plans for her. Her body was turned around a little forcefully, coming face-to-face with a tall boy with platinum blonde hair, green eyes, and dark circles that looked almost red in the light.

Seeing the position they were now in (after all, they were the only ones in the cramped aisle), her cheeks flushed a bit.

"Uh..yes. Who..uh…who are you?" she stammered out nervously, thankful that he had dropped his hand as soon as she was flipped around.

"I'm Kimimaru. Junior at Sound High," he said in a deep, almost-monotone voice. His white button-up shirt was slightly open, and she could see how his collarbone was very prominent underneath his milky pale skin. _Too pale to be healthy…_

Her eyes widened at the mention of Sound High.

"Um..I don't think we've met before. Do you need something?"

He sighed, as if the following conversation was hard for him to do.

"I thought it was you. Your hair is quite easy to spot," he said quietly. "And what I'm going to say, you can never repeat, because I shouldn't be telling you this."

"But-"

"I just sympathize with your situation. After all, you're far too innocent and breakable to be hurt."

Okay, now she was really freaked out.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Heh..at least you have _some_ backbone. Good," he smiled lightly. "The issue lies with my school. For some reason, a few sophomores have got it into their heads that if they do something to _you_, they'll get revenge at your basketball team for beating us."

She was silent for a few moments.

"But that doesn't make any sense! Why me? What do I have to do with the basketball team?"

"Are you not dating their star player?"

"Um…no," she admitted slowly, her eyes showing the briefest hint of sadness. "Though perhaps they just saw me there and made a mistake? My poms team cheered at the game."

"No…Zaku doesn't usually make mistakes, even though he _is _stubborn and pigheaded…" Kimimaru mused to himself.

"Zaku? Was that one of the kids that were in the car that followed me?" she said a little too loudly, before hushing herself. _After all, they were still in a library. An excellent meeting-place to discuss one's possible demise._

"Yes," he nodded solemnly. "Zaku and Dosu. They are the main players on our team, and have quite large egos. Losing messed up their minds."

"Could you tell them to stop?"

"_Tell_ them?" he chuckled. "No, _I_ wouldn't really influence them, but we all share a…mentor or sorts, and I could ask him to tell them to stop."

"C-could you?" Sakura asked desperately, still unsure whether Kimimaru had an ulterior motive or not. _But did she have a choice? It's not like she could do anything else in her situation. She didn't know anyone else who went to Sound._

"I think I will."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief.

"I don't know you very well—well….at all—but my friend who is staying at Konoha General Hospital talks about you all the time. Says how you're the 'only person in there who's nice before they've had heir morning coffee'. His words."

"What's his name?" she asked carefully. There weren't many patients around the same age as her, so she was racking her brain for possible matches.

"Doesn't matter. If I run into you again, maybe I'll tell you. But for now, I'll leave you to study in peace."

The aisle was soon as empty as it had been before.

* * *

The entire AP Biology class was abuzz with excitement over the lab they were doing today: measuring heart rates and blood pressures. Or to be more specific, getting up-close-and-personal with their partner.

(Well, all but a few teens were excited)

"Gaara, you don't have to roll up your sleeve if it makes you feel uncomfortable," Sakura assured her lab partner, who was currently glaring at the stethoscope and the blood-pressure cuff in her hands. "But you don't have to feel weird about it. I've done this hundreds of times in the hospital. I won't cut off your circulation for very long…it's only for a few seconds."

"What if my reading is bad?" he asked quietly.

"What?"

"What if that tells me my blood pressure is unhealthy?" he clarified sharply.

"Well, a lot of things factor into it. A lot of things can complicate the result. Stress, exercise, arousal-"

"—fine I'll do it," he replied abruptly. It took a second for Sakura to register his response, but when she did, she gave him a bright smile that made him flush slightly.

"Are we having trouble over here?" Mr. Uchiha asked them, apparently having had watched them the last thirty seconds as he stood behind them. Looking around, it was easy to see that Gaara and Sakura were not performing correctly: the rest of the class had already started a long time ago.

"Not really," Sakura replied quickly. Madara raised an eyebrow delicately.

"Well then why haven't you started?"

"It's my fault," Gaara broke in, looking at the teacher in his usual threatening way. "I don't know how to do it."

"Hmm..well, Sakura, you perform this quite often at the hospital, correct?"

Nod.

"Then you can show Gaara how it's done," he said, sitting down on a chair next to them. Gaara was almost to the point of glaring.

"How?"

He rolled up one of the sleeves of his crimson button-up shirt to show the inside of his elbow. "I think that's obvious. Now continue."

With a shaky breath (after all, she was doing this on a _teacher_, what if she did something wrong..), she slid the blood pressure cuff over his extended arm, letting him pull it up the rest of the way to his (exposed) bicep. She popped the stethoscope into her ears easily, taking the end of it in her right hand and placing it on Mr. Uchiha's (warm) skin.

She inflated the cuff as necessary (he made a small noise in the back of this throat at the pressure), and then released, listening to his heart slowly as it started to _lub-dub_ once more.

"You have a really fast heartbeat!" Sakura gaped at her teacher, quickly going into 'medic-mode'. "Your cheeks are also red…are you sick?"

"You did that excellently. Perfect form," he smirked, ignoring her question. "Hopefully Gaara over here learned something from that."

Gaara's glare was _murderous. _

* * *

It wasn't often that Deidara asked to meet with Itachi.

(In fact, it had never happened before)

The only time they ever saw each other outside of school was at their "club" meetings, and even _then_ they rarely talked, because Deidara was usually bickering with Sasori or Hidan.

So it surprised Itachi greatly that Deidara was sitting across from him in the closest Barstucks to the school, cups of scalding black coffee in front of them.

"So, yeah."

"So."

"This isn't about me."

"I expected as such, considering what you think of me."

"And don't think that just because I'm doing this means I want you to date her, yeah"

"Her?" Itachi mockingly asked, the side of his mouth twitching slightly. Normally, Itachi was never this antagonistic, but after repeatedly shamed and verbally attacked by Deidara, he developed a special persona just for him. _For some reason, he found it very easy to pretend to be a sadist._

"Don't play shit with me," Deidara growled, before he took a deep breath and his entire disposition changed to one of a more "nice guy" look. "Okay, I know you like Sakura and all…"

"I never told you that," Itachi interjected. (Deidara couldn't suppress his resulting chuckle.)

"Oh come on, it's so obvious, yeah…Anyways, I've decided to let you take her to prom."

Itachi froze, eyes widening for a fraction of a second.

He sure as hell didn't expect _that._

"May I ask why?"

"Yeah, you know, man…I thought a long time about this. I mean, I already took her to homecoming, and this is your _senior year, _so I think I'll let you have this one time."

"…."

"Of course after prom she's all mine, yeah," the blonde grinned impishly.

Itachi sighed, though he secretly admitted to himself that he was overjoyed. (Well, the most overjoyed he could be)

"And now I come to the real reason why I'm here," Deidara spoke, all of a sudden serious. "I know you suck at romance, so I will help you out."

(He actually was a secret romantic, but it's not like he would volunteer that information)

"Give this to her," Deidara continued, throwing a CD case onto the table.

"…what is it?"

"It's a CD with 4 tracks on it."

"….do they spell out 'prom'?"

Deidara choked on the coffee he had just begun to swallow down.

"H-how did you know?"

"It's pretty obvious."

"Yeah," Deidara scowled. "Well, there are four songs, and the first letter of each spells out P-R-O-M. So give it to her in English or whatever, and tell her to put it in her computer when she gets home. Then, then tracks will show up, and she'll see what the spell out."

"What kind of music is this?"

Deidara frowned. "Don't question my music tastes, Itachi. Most of what Sakura and I talk about is music-related. I know her tastes."

"Whatever you say," Itachi sighed.

_Though on the inside, his inner romantic had nearly died of over-stimulation._

* * *

Sakura sat down at her computer, looking at the CD in her hand. She flipped it over a few times, wondering what it could possibly have on it.

Itachi had seemed weirdly nervous about it, and had practically pushed it on her, stressing that she had to wait to get home to listen to it.

And so, she reluctantly put it into the CD drive, watching it load, the song titles popping up in her eyeTunes.

_Huh…that's weird. Only four? I mean, these are good songs, but that's a lot of empty space on the disk._

She heard her phone vibrate next to her, alerting her of a text. Itachi's name popped up on the screen, so she opened the message with hopes of his cryptic CD being explained.

**Itachi:** _After I've spelled it out for you, what's your answer?_

She frowned in confusion. _Spelled it out? What is that supposed to mean?_

Then the track titles caught her eye.

"p….r….o…..m…..," she said aloud, eyes scrunched in concentration. "What does that—OH MY FUCKING GOD."

"Is something wrong, sweetie?" Shizune called from downstairs, her voice faint.

"MOM, I JUST GOT ASKED TO PROM!"

Her mother's footsteps came sprinting towards her room. The door slammed open to reveal a flushed, panting Shizune.

"Omigod!" she squealed, cheeks rosy with delight. "I told you boys liked you! Was it Itachi!? I hope it was him! He is very nice and handsome and you'll have excellent children and-"

"—oh wait! I still haven't responded!" Sakura gasped, pulling her phone closer to begin frantically typing out a message.

"He asked you by _text?_" Shizune asked.

"Oh no," Sakura clarified. "Look at the computer screen."

Shizune leaned in. "Oh my! I see! The track names spell out 'prom'!"

"Eh?! You understood immediately?!" Sakura blurted out.

"Well you obviously weren't expecting it," the brunette explained. "You need to look for romance in the slightest of gestures when it comes to boys like that!"

"'Boys like that'?"

"You know, the ones that bottle up their emotions inside," Shizune sighed dreamily. "Never revealing their inner sensitive sides!"

"Oh mom," Sakura sighed. "You need a boyfriend."

"H-hey!" Shizune flushed. "You're not allowed to say that! _You're _the one who's never had one before!"

They spent the night gushing over boys, dresses, and the joy of youth, the subject of Sasuke perfectly absent from Sakura's mind.

She loved nights like this, because they make her realize how Shizune is both a supportive older sister as well as her mommy.

**Sakura: **_Of course I'll go with you! We can talk all about it later, because for now I'm listening to my mom talk about how perfect you are. Goodnight. (:_

* * *

**CAN I JUST DIE FROM OTP FEELS**

**GODDAMN**

**And can I get a big cheer for my beautiful darling Sakura, who has (SPOILER FROM RECENT CHAPTERS) proven that she is nearly on even playing ground as Naruto and Sasuke? It says ****_so_**** much about her hard work and dedication, because she has no demon supplying unlimited chakra or family bloodline to fall back on. **

**(And ps: Sasuke totally got a boner from watching her punch the shit out of everything)**


	12. May: Freshman

**Happy summer (;**

**PS: If you need your SasuSaku fix, I am participating in the whole prompt-a-day thing for July! Check it ouuut.**

* * *

**_Contact: Sauce-kay_**

**_Option: Send Message_**

_Hey man, now that summer's out I think I'm going to ask this chick out._

_..What exactly made you think I care?_

_I gotta question about it._

_This better be important, Suigetsu._

_Well, I need to ask…is Sakura dating your brother?_

_…Hey Sasuke?_

_Sasuke!_

_You're an asshole, Sasuke. I shoulda just asked Shisui. _

* * *

Sakura's English class was uncharacteristically quiet, a sea of nervous frowns and tired-looking eyes. Kakashi tried to hide his amused chuckles, but they came out in weird cough-like guffaws, prompting the class to question his sanity.

"Okay, you all have you 'personal philosophies' ready?" he asked, already knowing that the majority of them had done the project the night before (save for students like Neji and Sakura, who had probably spent the whole week working on it).

A large chorus of groans resonated throughout the classroom.

"Excellent! Let's have people present, then. You may remain in your seat while talking."

More complaints.

Kakashi sent a dirty glare to the room, effectively intimidating them all into silence.

"Let's have Neji go first."

All eyes turned to the brunette, who appeared to be unfazed by this death sentence.

"Okay," Neji started. "My topic had originally been on the power of destiny, but I actually decided to change it last minute."

Sakura gave him a confused look. Over the past week, she and Neji had spent many hours in the library studying their topics thoroughly, but he had never mentioned any "changes."

"High school is a point of a life where the possibilities are endless, yet the potential for failure is just as prevalent. Often, teenagers have already determined their outcome in life purely for the reason that they have deluded themselves into believing that it is their only path. Thus is the issue of the 'self-fulfilling prophecy': if you expect yourself to fail, you will ultimately fall."

He paused, looked at one of his papers for a brief second, and continued.

"However, I have been lucky enough to meet someone in my life that has broken their own 'fate,' instead using it for fuel to succeed and motivation to keep going, even when faced with scorn or adversity. Before, I had thought that everyone's lives were set. Now, I realize that is entirely possible to turn your life around at any moment. It starts with the mindset, which translates to your actions and manifests itself into your very subconscious."

And for his final statement, he added: "Don't allow your potential to sit inside you like a bird in a cage; when you break your paradigms, you break open the cage and truly soar."

As he finished, the class clapped energetically, at the same time realizing that they would have to compete with _that_. (The claps got a little less excited after that)

"Now who wants to go next?" Mr. Hatake asked in a saccharine-sweet voice, knowing the students' predicament.

"I don't mind going," Sasori quickly interjected, giving Neji a sideways glance that _screamed_ competition.

"Well then go right ahead."

Sasori cleared his throat delicately.

"Unlike basing something off of ambiguous life circumstances, my personal philosophy is derived from art itself," he smirked, looking relaxed. "Art brings pleasure, and pleasure inspires art…it's a beautiful cyclical process that only a fool could ignore. The ultimate achievement one could ever aspire to would be to create a piece of art that inspires thousands. Take the Mona Lisa, for example. Millions, if not billions, could recognize that portrait within seconds, and yet at some point, that image was merely just a daydream of Leonardo da Vinci."

He smiled for the briefest of seconds, before ending: "This assignment may be short, however, the message is anything but. The world is built off of beauty, and it is your job to immortalize it."

The class clapped, a few rolling their eyes at how expected Sasori's topic was. The rest of the classes' presentations were uneventful, and the period dragged on slowly, until Itachi was the only one that hadn't gone.

Without hesitation, he dove right in as soon as the second-to-last student finished.

"As with any senior graduating in the next month, my self-identity is being constantly questioned. What I was, who I am now, who I _will _be...everyone is suddenly very interested in measuring you up like a piece of merchandise ready to be sold. However, you cannot document worth; you cannot mass-produce good intentions or dreams like cars on an assembly line. You decide your own identity, and no matter how fluid it is, it is your own. Many things go into your character: morals, personality, interests...but also your interactions with people. You can be whatever you want in your free time by yourself, but when around others, you always fall into the same pattern to either fit in or make a difference."

Glancing around the classroom for the briefest of seconds, he paused before delivering his concluding thesis.

"We are who we protect. The ones who you take care of eventually take care of _you_."

* * *

As Sakura left the class, books clutched to her chest, she couldn't help but overhear the excited whispers of the two girls in front of her.

"Isn't Itachi so _perfect?_" one gushed, dramatically clasping her hands together with a lovestruck sigh. The other nodded in agreement, before her face suddenly fell.

"It's a shame that he'll leave in a month!"

"Oh yeah, he's a senior. Ugh, one less hot boy in the school."

Sakura averted her eyes to the ground.

_She had almost forgot that in a few months, Itachi would be gone._

* * *

Since the next week had been filled with frantic last-minute studying and AP tests, Sakura had almost forgotten about all the preparations she had to take for Prom. (Almost)

She had picked out her dress online nearly a day after she was asked, a teal blue strapless ensemble with crisscrossing fabric in the front. Sakura had made sure Hinata, TenTen, _and_ Shizune had approved of it, and had clicked the little "order now" button with an anxious smile.

Nevertheless, when it came in the mail, Shizune wanted to see it on immediately.

"AH! SAKURA!" she squealed happily. "You look so pretty! So beautiful!"

"You _have_ to say that," Sakura groaned while staring at her reflection in the only full-length mirror in their house. "Are you sure it's fine?"

"We'll have to curl your hair and pin it to the sides!" Shizune giggled. "Your long hair will look so pretty next to it!"

"Hopefully Itachi likes it..," Sakura sighed to herself, smiling ever-so-slightly at the image in the mirror.

* * *

The US History class was especially lively before the period started, even _before _Sakura arrived.

"Guys, today's the day. I'm asking her out!" Suigetsu grinned to the guys around him, ignoring the scathing looks Kiba and Shisui sent him.

"Not if I do it first!" Kiba interjected, jutting his finger to his chest dramatically.

"Like hell either of you will!" Shisui glared, slamming his fist down on the desk.

"What, do _you_ have a thing for her too?" Suigetsu shot back quickly.

"Of course not!" Shisui said sharply. "I mean, she's cute and all, but she belongs to someone else!"

"Who?" Kiba asked.

"You'll find out soon, I'm sure," Shisui grinned. "But for now, if either of you two make _any_ advances on her, I will make sure you will not live to see your sophomore year."

And just as suddenly as the conversation had started, it ended as soon as Sakura walked into the classroom (right before the bell sounded).

"What's wrong?" she asked curiously as she slid into her seat. All three boys' faces looked guilty, but she couldn't see a reason why.

"Next year," Suigetsu whispered to Kiba, a challenge that neither of them would forget.

* * *

The night before Prom, Sakura could barely get any sleep.

The dance was Saturday at 7pm, and she could safely say that she had never been so nervous about anything else in her life.

To start off, she'd be one of the few underclassmen attending, so she wouldn't know many people there. Also, most of her upperclassmen friends (like Deidara or Sasori) weren't going, so her pool of "people I am able to talk to" shrunk even more.

Only adding to her worries was her date: the handsome, flawless, perfect, intimidating Itachi Uchiha that she was terrified of disappointing or embarrassing herself in front of. She'd never live down a mistake in his eyes, which made her all the more frightened of doing/acting/saying something wrong.

Friday night, she went through all her preparations carefully (and nervously):

- nails painted

- lotion applied

- hair mask

- exfoliation

- teeth brushed

And after she was done, the only thing she had energy left to do was set her alarm before collapsing asleep.

* * *

Itachi had told her to be ready by 5pm, so naturally, Sakura finished getting ready at 4 and spent the next hour going over every possible situation that could happen with Shizune.

"What if he doesn't like me?"

"Of course he does! Why else would he ask?"

"What if he just feels bad for me?"

"Then, hey! At least you get a date out of it?"

"What if he asks me out?"

"Then say yes!"

"What if he doesn't?"

"You could always ask him first!"

"What if-"

The doorbell rang.

"OH MY GOD HE'S HERE," Sakura whispered harshly to herself, blushing profusely.

"I'll get the door!" Shizune yelped, sprinting towards it as inconspicuously as possible. Sakura followed, but at a much slower pace since she was in a full-length dress and heels.

The second Itachi walked (strutted) in, her mouth went dry. Seeing a boy in a school uniform is one thing, but seeing a boy in a _suit_ is well…

His hair was in its usual perfectly-disheveled state, but since it was paired with a black tux, it looked deliberate and model-like. He wore a teal tie, and was carrying a corsage to match.

"Is Sakura here?" he lightly teased, before looking around. Across the room, Sakura and Itachi locked eyes.

They looked at each other.

They looked at each other's oufits.

They looked at each other's faces.

They looked down in embarrassment. (Though he was _definitely_ more discreet about it)

"I'll get the camera!" Shizune sing-songed, practically skipping to the kitchen to get it.

"You look beautiful," Itachi told her simply, making her head spin and insides melt into a warm goo.

"You do too!" she replied nervously. "I mean..uh..you look nice too. Heh.."

(Itachi was secretly quite amused at how nervous she was getting)

But before he could comment, Shizune rushed back into the room with a sly smirk and a digital camera.

"You two..prom position. Stat!" she commanded, forcing them to stand in the stereotypical prom pose: Sakura in front, with Itachi wrapping his arms around her waist. (As you can probably guess, Sakura was getting redder by the second)

As Shizune danced around them, ordering them into positions and taking pictures like mad woman, Sakura could feel the warmth of Itachi behind her, her head feeling light from the overdose of physical contact with an extremely attractive man.

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to steal Sakura from you now," Itachi broke in, interrupting Shizune's frenzy. "I need to take her to my house before we leave for the actual dance."

Not bothering to hide her coo of satisfaction at his politeness, Shizune rushed the two out of the house, leaving them with a warning of "_You two better have fun tonight!_"

As they finally got into Itachi's car (he had opened the passenger door for her quite politely), Sakura let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry my mom can be so crazy," she apologized, smoothing out her dress.

"It just shows how much she loves you," Itachi replied softly. "You're lucky to have such a supportive family life."

"Thank you," Sakura smiled warmly. "She thinks you're a nice boy. Very gentleman-like."

"Well, don't get too used to it at the moment," he frowned. "Because you're going to have to meet my _entire_ family."

"I'm sure your father can't be _too_ bad right now," she assured. "It's your last real high school event before graduation"

_Oh._

They were silent for the last minute of the drive.

* * *

"Sakura! You look lovely!" Itachi's mom smiled sweetly, wrapping Sakura in a tight hug (while making sure to not ruffle the careful curls in Sakura's hair). "I am so happy for you and Itachi!"

When she was released, her eyes met those of Fukagu Uchiha, a rather imposing man in his fourties. Even though it was just another weekend for every adult in the world, he was dressed in an expensive-looking business suit, making her believe that he wore one pretty much every day of his life.

He gave her a nod of acknowledgment.

"Father, this is Sakura Haruno. The one I've told you so much about," Itachi explained, giving her shoulder a light squeeze.

"She looks young," Mr. Uchiha said offhandedly. "How old are you?"

"15," Sakura answered back quickly.

"Itachi's 17 right now," Mikoto added in, giving her husband a look.

"Sakura, are you familiar with my other son?"

Sakura's smile faltered a bit. "Ah, yes. I haven't seen much of him this semester, though."

"Well we can't have that!" Mikoto said happily. "I'll go get him! He's probably up in his room or something. We can't have him miss this!"

As Mikoto disappeared up the stairs to retrieve the last person Sakura wanted to see at the moment, Itachi moved his hand to the small of her back in some form of support. (Though it really only made her _more_ flustered)

"Itachi says that you are first in your class," Mr. Uchiha broke in. "Is that true?"

"It should be finalized by June, but I was number one last semester and most likely will be at the end of this year as well," Sakura responded, trying to look confident. Itachi's father mused over her words.

"Sasuke is fifth in his class. And for some reason, that isn't motivation enough for him to study."

"I'm sure with enough effort, he can pull through," Sakura assured the older man. "He is very bright."

"You might be giving him too much credit."

Her blood ran a little cold at watching a father so blatantly dismiss his son's talents.

However, the arrival of a reluctant Sasuke (pushed by his mother to go greet his "beautiful guest") stole her from any thoughts of pity.

"Uh…hey," he said awkwardly, obviously forced to say something because of the presence of his parents.

"Doesn't she look absolutely _gorgeous_?" Mikoto gushed, giving Sakura a wink. _Oh no. Please stop where you are, Mikoto…don't push this…don't—"_Tell her how gorgeous she is!"

_Fuck._

"Your dress is very…blue," he said simply, looking her over once before adverting his eyes almost immediately.

"We need to be leaving now," Itachi added nimbly, bypassing the awkward silence that was sure to be coming. "Can't be late."

Hand still on Sakura's back, he quickly guided her through the door, leaving only enough time for a hurried "goodbye!" as they left.

Once the door closed, Mikoto noticed her youngest son's gloomy disposition.

"Is something wrong, Sasuke?" she asked comfortingly, even though she knew he would never _really _admit to any problems.

"No."

"Sasuke, why couldn't _you_ have dated that girl? She fits _your_ age group, yet _Itachi_ is the one holding her hand," Mr. Uchiha said sharply, glancing over at his son only long enough to watch him storm back up the stairs into his room.

"Fukagu..," his wife frowned sadly. "I think that's a sore topic for him."

* * *

By the time Sakura and Itachi arrived at the actual dance, they were both quite tired of awkward situations and forced politeness, so they shared a somewhat giddy demeanor at the fact that they wouldn't have to face parents for the rest of the night.

For the first hour or so of the dance, the dance floor was empty, so they just sat at their table and talked. It was just like any other conversation they'd had throughout the year…the only difference was that this time they were wearing fancy clothes.

"I never took you as a dance person," Sakura smiled towards Itachi, eyes scanning the room, seeing all the other couples laughing and holding hands. Needless to say, she felt a little out of place.

"Well, given the company I am with, I can always rise to the occasion," he shrugged delicately, a coy tilt to his words. "And I just assumed that _you_ liked to dance."

"Whatever gave you that impression?" she teased. "Was it the Poms uniform?"

"Unfortunately, you can't wear spandex to a school dance…"

Sakura snorted. "Why, did you want me to?"

"Don't put me in the same category as Shisui," he warned lightly. "We are two very different people."

"…that both like spandex?"

"So how did AP tests go for you?" Itachi quickly said, changing the subject away from Sakura's ass. She frowned at the mention of those awful standardized tests.

"Awful, which probably means I did decently. You _did_ help me quite a bit with English. If the business world doesn't work out for you, you could always be a teacher!"

"Oh, my father would just _love_ that," Itachi chuckled. "I'd like to see the look on his face if I told him that I wanted a blue-collar job."

"Thankfully Shizune has known since 4th grade that I want to be a doctor," Sakura smiled.

"You call your mother by her first name?"

"Well, she's my adoptive mother…"

"It's good that you two are so close," he added meaningfully.

"And I said earlier…she is _obsessed_ with you," Sakura laughed. "If she had her way, we'd be on our way to our wedding ceremony instead of Prom."

"She wants us to get married?" Itachi smirked. Sakura flushed at how stupid her comment may have sounded. (to her, at least)

"She watches a lot of reality television. You know…_Say Yes to the Wedding Dress_ and other shows like that," she explained nervously.

"My mother does the same," he commented. "She said that with your hair and eye coloring, our wedding colors would be white and green."

And to Sakura's absolute joy, instead of coming up with a non-awkward response to that, the blare of the music over the speakers signaled to the entire room that it was time to start dancing.

With one of the Top 40 Hits playing through the air, she grabbed his hand excitedly and pulled them onto the dance floor.

As expected, Itachi wasn't the _best_ of dancers, but he wasn't awful either, instead looking adorably awkward as he tried to hide the fact that he was a little uncomfortable at all the sweaty bodies around him. After what seemed like dozens of songs, they broke away from the horde of teenagers and made their way over to the "bar" lined with all those silly kiddie-cocktails that actually tasted pretty damn good.

They spent a few minutes in silence, watching everyone else making fools of themselves while grinding to some rap song.

"I'm guessing you don't really like big crowds," she said simply, stirring the remains of her drink with the red straw that came with it.

"I don't really mind them…unless they are made of a lot of people jumping around frantically," he sighed out, making her laugh. At this point of their relationship, she had begun to pick up when he was making jokes.

"Well that means you can't say no to the next few songs!" she grinned.

"…why not?"

"The last songs are the slow dances!"

And if on cue, the music changed from a pounding R&B beat to the soft chords of a piano. Sakura put down her drink almost instantly, and turned to face him.

"May I have this dance, sir?" she asked with an impish smirk.

"Aren't the men supposed to ask that?" he responded teasingly, eyes never leaving hers.

"Yeah, so?"

He shrugged. "Well then I have no objections."

She tugged on his hand for the second time that night, pulling him once more to the crowd in the middle of the room.

"You don't have to sound so fancy!" she playfully scolded. "It's only a dance! Not a ball!"

Once they arrived, they found a spot to join in, falling into the typical slow-dance position used by every other awkward teenage couple around them. However, instead of feeling the need to fill the air with pointless chatter and meaningless conversation, they maintained a soft eye contact before pulling together so tightly that their heads were nearly on top of each other's shoulders. Their hands were held tightly, yet somehow the usual nervous sweat was completely absent.

Their bodies fell into perfect harmony, neither balancing nor changing…just perfectly complementing each other like two halves of a circle.

The music was surprisingly soothing, letting their breath even out to levels of complete relaxation.

"So did you ever find out who your Hamlet was?" he whispered softly into her ear, sending delightful chills down her spine. She hesitated, trying to string together words that wouldn't just come out as nervous stutters.

"When did I tell you about that?" she asked breathlessly, only getting a small smirk as a reply.

Instant chills.

"Sometimes there are just things you need to-"

His response was cut off by a dramatic swell of pop music, blasting through the speakers and scaring the shit out of everyone who had been previously slow-dancing. (Including Itachi and Sakura)

"I guess this means we need to start dancing again!" he said loudly over the noise, a bold smile shooting across his face and nearly stopping her heart.

There are many ways you can make Sakura Haruno nervous, and in that night, she discovered that Itachi Uchiha encompassed at least half of them.

* * *

Unfortunately, they had to eventually drive home from the dance, the darkness of the night giving an eerie (intimate) feel inside Itachi's car. Sakura couldn't help but feel like Cinderella, racing away from the ball as her fairytale night was coming to an end.

Since she knew he couldn't see her expression in the dark, she allowed herself to frown, trying not to linger too long on the fact that she would never have another night like this with Itachi.

Or any night at all.

And though it might sound melodramatic, considering that he was leaving for college at the end of June, her fears were valid.

She held in a sigh.

She _should_ have been thinking about other boys that she'd see again next fall, but in that moment…during this one night…she found that she couldn't care less about other boys.

Fuck the Sasuke drama, fuck wondering if anybody actually liked her….in this moment, she felt happy and giddy and _wonderful._

But then the car came to a stop.

And she had to leave.

Itachi, ever being the stubborn gentleman, opened her door for her (for the last time, most likely), and began to walk her to her door, the only light coming from the millions of stars overhead. The air was chilly, and she subconsciously leaned closer to him for warmth.

Once they got to her actual front door, they stopped.

Time stopped.

Her heart stopped.

_What is going to happen now?_

"Whoever you want your Hamlet to be, make sure you pick wisely," he smiled softly, barely visible in the night. She couldn't even manage to _think_ of a response, much less actually verbalize it at that point.

His warm breath lightly fanned over her cold cheeks, the sensation making her heart race.

She could feel him lean in, closer and closer until..

His lips brushed the side of her cheek, her erratic pulse just inches underneath.

"Goodnight, Ophelia," he whispered kindly, and the sadness hidden in his eyes was enough to make her stomach lurch.

* * *

At the end of May, romance and cute boys were entire absent from every young girl's mind, because the end of May meant that finals were steadily approaching. (and not getting any easier)

Since Ino was pretty much gone from both Sakura _and _Hinata's lives, the two sat in the Hyuuga household alone, only kept company by their French textbooks and a plate of chocolate-chip cookies.

"Have you finished the worksheet on the imparfait tense?" Sakura asked Hinata passively, eyes scanning one of those "learn French now!' websites on her laptop.

"No, Mr. Sarutobi said he would focus more on the regular past-tense," Hinata replied softly, writing something down in her notebook.

They were silent for a few minutes, the only sounds being Hinata's pencil and Sakura scrolling through pages on the Internet.

"I asked Naruto yesterday if he liked anyone before he liked me," Hinata suddenly blurted out, scaring Sakura for a second.

"What did he say?" she asked, not really worried for her friend. After all, Naruto and Hinata's relationship was rock-solid, there was no chance that it would end any time soon.

"He said you were his first love."

There was an awkward pause.

"He and I never dated," Sakura added hesitantly. "We were just really close friends in middle school."

"He never said anything to you?" Hinata said quietly, so quietly that Sakura couldn't help but feel her heart lurch. Her sweet friend had always been horribly insecure, and even though she had gained confidence recently, it didn't mean that those worries were gone forever.

Sakura closed her laptop and turned to face Hinata directly, bright green eyes facing icy blue.

"Hinata. You do not have to worry about Naruto loving someone else," she spoke solidly, voice unwavering. "And if he tried to leave you, I'd beat him up until he couldn't walk straight."

To make sure that Hinata knew she wasn't kidding, she wrapped her in a tight hug, squeezing away all her doubts.

The black-haired girl smiled at her friend. "Do you want to know why he stopped?"

Sakura gave an unsure nod.

"He said that he saw how happy other people made you, and decided that he couldn't compete," she whispered out. "And now…all he can see you as is the sister he never had."

"And _you're_ the only girl for him," Sakura assured. "Trust me, I'd be horrible competition."

Finally breaking from their hug, Hinata gave her that teasing smile that always made an appearance when they were talking about boys.

"Trust _me_, the only competition is the one for _you_."

* * *

**Spoiler alert: Neji was talking about Naruto. Not sure if that was obvious enough. I try to follow canon details (when I can).**

**HEY GUYS**

**Is anyone else watching Attack on Titan? Because I just started it and idk how I feel about it entirely, but I think I could potentially fall in love with it. **


	13. June: Freshman

**WOW IT'S BEEN FOREVER**

**All the sasusaku month prompts have been seriously stealing my energy….sorry! There's only a few more days left of those, anyways...**

* * *

_**Contact: Deidara**_

_**Option: Send Message**_

_I need to discuss something with you before I leave for college._

_Woah, Itachi. Don't have to make it sound so serious. Is this about the Akatsuki meetings? Because I said I could host them this year._

_No, it's about Sakura._

_What about her?_

_I need someone to look out for her next year since I won't be there._

_What does that even mean?_

_Make sure she doesn't get hurt, keep her safe, do everything you can._

_Woah, man. I can't decide if you sound like a stalker or like an overprotective dad._

_Do you accept?_

_Yeah, sure._

* * *

The last days of school were very nerve-racking for a large portion of the student body, particularly to those that were saying goodbye to a senior boy that they had only met that year and had gone to prom with and may-or-may-not really really want to get closer to and—

(Well maybe that was just Sakura)

English class was the worst, because she would sit next to Itachi, wanting to say something, but not finding the words for it. And she could tell that he wanted to wait for her, which made it all the more depressing, because it just showed how kind and goddamn _gentlemanly_ he was.

So since she really didn't have much homework to do, she tried to fill her time with working out, the internet, and sleepovers with Hinata (or TenTen). Her life had become strangely slow-paced, save for the fact that she couldn't quite get her inner feelings sorted out. (which is why she was so apprehensive when it came to Itachi's upcoming graduation party, but whatever…)

The seniors had left school two weeks before everyone else, so while Sasori, Itachi, and Shisui were done with high school, Sakura still had to sit in the same classes, wondering how she was going to spend her summer.

She already knew that she would spend nearly the entirety of July at the medical camp in Iwa, and Shizune had already told her to "make sure to keep August free," so she was probably going to be taking them somewhere on vacation. (Shizune wasn't the type for traveling, so it was pretty exciting to think about where they'd be going)

So as June 8th came along, she had to suck it up, put on her big-girl panties, and…

…go Itachi's graduation party.

…alone.

Of course, she had promised Deidara that they'd spend a majority of the party together, but since Naruto couldn't attend, she didn't really have any other people to socialize with. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but she just needed someone who would help her avoid Sasuke if necessary.

(Yes, it was childish, but it made her life a lot less stressful, so whatever)

So naturally, the second she walked into the Uchiha household, she looked for Deidara.

"Sakuuuura!" he grinned, running over to her and giving her the tightest hug imaginable. "You look so _cute_!"

Truthfully, she was a bit anxious over what outfit to choose, since the weather had been obnoxiously hot now that summer was starting. She had ended up wearing a short teal dress that had sheer paneling around her shoulders. Sure, she felt a bit exposed, but it was very comfortable in the heat.

"Good! I was worried that no one else would be in warm-weather clothing!" she sighed out, relieved as she took in his cargo shorts and green v-neck. Deidara raised an eyebrow slowly.

"Sakura…feel free to wear 'warm-weather clothing' _whenever_ you want, yeah…"

She slapped his arm.

"Don't be so perverted in public!" she scolded. "I swear, Sasori is rubbing off on you!"

"Oh!" he exclaimed suddenly, ignoring her comment. "That reminds me! Are you free Saturday afternoon?"

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Why..?"

"Sasori is leaving Saturday, and I want to surprise him at the airport!"

"Airport?"

"He'll leaving for Suna, yeah," he added, giving her a sad look. "He only told the rest of us yesterday."

"…us?" she asked further, though he seemed to stop volunteering information after that.

"So you can?"

"I…guess?"

"Perfect!" he cheered. "Now, let's go find some food in this place!"

* * *

The two spent the next few hours walking around the Uchiha house slowly, either dodging or waving lightly at the countless people they ran into. Since graduation parties mainly involved family, there weren't that many people their age there, making it feel less like a "party" and more like "covert people-watching."

"Hey Sasuke!" a pale-haired boy cried out suddenly, elbowing his friend in the side. "There she is! Sakura!"

Sasuke hit Suigetsu's stomach immediately, making him choke on his air and thus unable to call out to the strawberry-blonde girl that was currently walking side-by-side with the Junior boy she went to homecoming with.

"Ow, why didja do that?" he pouted. "I wanted to go say hi! She looks so fucking _hot_ right now!"

"Don't talk to her," Sasuke frowned. "Ever."

"Ugh, look at her cute little body! What I wouldn't give to be the one that would st-"

"—stop. Or else I will fucking kick your ass," he growled…only to be met with an understanding smile.

"I get it now, Sasuke….you like her too," he smirked, watching as Sasuke instantly glared, shaking his head violently.

"Don't say that."

"Well _that_ sure sucks…because she's like almost-dating your brother, yeah?" Suigetsu let out a low whistle before giving him a pat on the back. "And if I were him, I sure as hell wouldn't be giving her up any time soon…"

"Shut. The. Fuck. Up," Sasuke glared. "Or I will _actually_ kill you."

Suigetsu just laughed.

"Ya know, Sasuke…other people might be intimidated by you, but for some reason I've become immune. Maybe because now I just know that you're just as insecure as everyone else…"

* * *

By the time it had neared 11:20, Deidara knew that he had to somehow find Itachi so that he could see Sakura. As much as he hated the Uchiha brat, he was still his "friend," and the guy at least deserved to see Sakura on his _birthday._

(Such a shame that he was turning 18 and leaving such a pretty girl behind, really)

If Deidara hadn't fancied Sakura himself, he would've felt bad for her.

She and Itachi obviously had some unresolved romantic tension, and neither of them seemed ballsy enough to _do_ anything about it, even if they were forced to wallow in self-pity for the rest of their lives over the whole mess.

So he texted him.

_Hey. Uchiha. Come and get Sakura now, otherwise I'll keep her for forever._

(It only took two minutes after that before Itachi showed up)

"Sakura," he said quickly, running into them while they were chatting in the kitchen. "Can we talk?"

She hesitated, glancing over at Deidara, silently asking him if it was okay.

"Go ahead," the blonde smiled, though it was a little forced as he watched them walk up the stairs to Itachi's room together.

* * *

"So what did you want to talk about?" Sakura asked slowly, looking around his room with eyes full of curiosity. Not counting Sasuke or Naruto, it was the first boy's bedroom she had ever been in, and it was surprisingly…boring.

The sheets on his bed and curtains were the exact same shade of black, and the only other furniture was a nightstand, a small bookshelf, and a desk with some scattered electronics over it. Everything else seemed to be already packed up for college. From what she heard, he was going somewhere very important, though he hadn't told anyone where, exactly. She supposed that he just got tired of everyone trying to pry into his personal business, so he refused to tell them.

"Well, I was hoping it would be about…_us_," he admitted, and he gestured for her to sit on the edge of the bed. She complied, and was instantly glad at how smooth it was. The black fabric felt cooling and nice on her warm skin. Patiently waiting for him to continue, she kicked her legs back-and-forth a few times, not seeing the way his eyes followed her every move as he sat next to her.

He swallowed, trying his best not to stare for too long at her legs.

_Doesn't she know how tempting she looks right now? It was like she was practically begging for him to break every personal value of his and demand that she never leave his bed for the rest of their lives._

"I'll be moving to college in a few weeks."

"Where are you going?" she frowned.

"Amegakure."

"Isn't that-"

"Four hours by car, two by plane."

She tried to laugh to lighten the mood, but she failed miserably.

"That's…uh…a good school. They'll be lucky to have you."

"But I'd rather be with someone else."

Her heart skipped a beat.

_Does he mean- _

"….who?" she replied reluctantly, moving her eyes up to meet his.

….only for her breath to die in her throat.

He was looking at her with the most indescribable, most heartbreaking emotion that she couldn't quite pin down, though she found herself not even wanting to try.

"Sakura. I'm going to be blunt," he admitted, never breaking eye contact. "Tomorrow, I turn eighteen, and you'll still be fifteen. And even though we both know that you have more maturity than most twenty-year-olds, society dictates that a relationship between us is immoral until we are _both_ of age. I know that while your mother is not as traditional as my parents, they would expect us to uphold traditional standards, which means that we cannot-"

"-what time is it _exactly_?" she asked suddenly, interrupting him with her eyes narrowed. His mind went blank for a moment before checking the alarm clock on his bedside table.

"11:50pm"

Their eyes met.

"Well then, you have ten minutes left to be my boyfriend," she said smoothly, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards into a giddy smirk.

Itachi didn't need to be told twice.

He practically lunged at her, pinning her back against the soft bed with his body while his hands were placed on either side of her head. His lips met hers in a heated frenzy, skipping all formalities of the usual first-kiss and going straight

Itachi was all she never expected him to be: demanding and rough, yet just gentle enough to break her heart. The ends of his hair tickled her cheeks, and every touch on her body sent electric-like shocks down her spine, white-hot and tingly.

As one of his hands rested on her soft cheek, the other slid down her exposed shoulder, making her shiver. He pulled away sharply, and just as she was about to ask what was wrong, he put his mouth to her ear, his breath on her exposed neck.

"Do you have _any idea_ how long I've wanted to do this to you?" he whispered harshly, his voice haggard and so goddamn _masculine_ in that moment that Sakura could feel every last bit of reason melt away from her mind.

Without waiting for her to respond, he moved onto her neck, biting and licking and humming and making her feel absolutely _wonderful_, experiencing dozens of emotions within the span of seconds.

"Itachi!' she moaned out, completely surprising herself, but only urging him on further. He went back to her lips, and they kissed for even more, just reveling in the feel of each other.

Feeling daring, she flipped them over, with _her_ straddling _him_.

Thinking back to her first day at Konoha Academy, she wondered what her past self would say of her right now.

If someone had told incoming-freshman Sakura Haruno that she would one day be making out with _the_ Itachi Uchiha, she probably would've laughed. But now—this Sakura—she was more confident…she was more sure of herself…

….she felt like she could take on the world.

But the beeping of Itachi's alarm brought them screeching back to reality.

_beepbeep beepbeep beepbeep_

They broke apart, catching their breaths in the sudden silence.

"…happy birthday," she said hesitantly, looking down. He put his hands on her shoulders, pulling them both to sitting position on his bed.

"You know that it won't be for a very long time," he replied sadly, eyes full of that same icy warmth that she had just felt seconds ago.

"Three years is a long time," she muttered softly.

"My parents are ten years apart," Itachi quickly interjected.

"Did they meet in high school?"

"…."

Sakura gave him a sad smile.

"You can visit while you're in college."

"But I don't want to be a burden on you. You still have so much ahead of you, so many different things to experience and learn…"

"I think I can decide for myself what I should be learning," she pouted, teasing him a bit while standing up slowly, smoothing out her dress with delicate care. "And I don't need you telling me what I should be feeling."

"Sakura, I-"

She cut off his protestations with a chaste kiss on the lips, making him audibly gasp.

"_What are you_—no! I'm eighteen now, remember?!"

She smirked impishly. "It was just a friendly kiss~"

With a sigh, he got off of the bed, reaching for the door to let them both out.

"I hope you realize how dangerous you are for my sanity."

* * *

A few days later, Sakura found herself standing in the middle of Konoha Airport, surrounded by hundreds of people leaving for their flights in the crowded terminal. Behind her and Deidara was the gate for Suna, filling up quickly.

"THIS IS SO DEPRESSING!" Deidara sighed loudly, staring down Sasori, who was swamped underneath his giant carry-on bag.

"This _was_ very unexpected," Sakura added quietly. "You never told us _during _the school year…"

"I originally thought that I wouldn't be going until August, but something came up," the redhead said cryptically. "But I still didn't ask you guys to come…"

Sakura's eyes widened.

"Deidara…you said that he 'begged' for us to show up!"

The blonde laughed awkwardly. "Well, he didn't _actually _ask, but it was _implied_…yeah"

"It will be refreshing when I don't have to deal with your constant attempts of friendship in Suna," he mumbled, though he made sure to smile gratefully at Sakura. "However, there are definitely _some _people I will miss."

"I'll make sure to tell that to the Akatsuki," Deidara joked lightly, before the look on Sakura's face made him regret saying anything.

"Who?" she asked delicately, making the boys freeze in place.

"N-nothing, yeah!"

"It's nothing," Sasori assured, ready to change the subject. "I need to get going now, anyways."

"Aww…Sasori…." Dediara pouted. "You're going to have no friends where you're going…."

"I keep telling you that I _grew_ _up _in Suna!" he hissed out quickly. "My entire family is there!"

He took a deep breath in before continuing, this time moving onto Sakura.

"Sakura, you have my number, right?" he asked smoothly.

"..yes?"

"Good. You'll be texting me quite a lot."

She gave him a weird look.

"Does that mean _you'll _be texting me as well? Or am I just sending them without getting any replies in return?"

"Yes, perfect," he smirked, watching her shoulders fall with amusement twinkling in his amber eyes. "I'll miss you, little girl."

"I'll miss you too, yeah," Deidara added sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Just hug Sakura and leave."

Sasori chuckled, a deep tone that made Sakura's cheeks flush a bit. "Of course."

And with that, he pulled her close to his chest, wrapping his arms around her slowly and squeezing her close to his firm body.

(Yeah, her blush intensified quite a bit. Interacting with attractive males could be dangerous sometimes)

"Stay in contact," he whispered into her ear. "And tell me if you have any trouble."

When he released her, she stepped back timidly, keeping her eyes on him.

"Bye, Sasori. Have fun in Suna!" she smiled. "I'm sure you'll be very successful in whatever you try!"

"Thanks, you two," he said finally, picking up his things and exiting to the gate. "Goodbye, I guess."

Deidara and Sakura watched as the redhead boy walked away.

"I didn't think I actually would…but I think I might miss that bastard," Deidara stated calmly.

"You know…me too," she smiled.

* * *

_**Contact: Itachi! (:**_

_**Option: Send Message**_

_Before I leave for med-camp in July, do you wanna hang out?_

_What does "hang out" mean, exactly?_

_Nothing dirty!...unless you want it to be….._

_…_

_…Itachi?_

_…._

_Please? I was only teasing! _

_I'm free on Monday._

* * *

**Trivia: when I first conceptualized this series (all the way back in September 2012), that Itachi/Sakura scene was one of the first I thought of.**

**Further trivia: I was sunbathing on a beach in northern Italy at the time**


End file.
